Legal Definitions - alnager

An alnager was a historical royal official in England whose primary duty was to assess and collect a specific tax, known as "alnage," on woolen cloth. This tax was levied to ensure the quality and proper measurement of textiles before they were sold, and the alnager's role was crucial in enforcing these standards and collecting the associated revenue for the Crown. The office of alnager and the alnage tax itself were abolished in 1699.

• Imagine a bustling 15th-century market town in England. A local weaver has just completed a large bolt of fine wool fabric intended for sale. Before he can offer it to merchants, an alnager arrives, carefully inspects the cloth for its quality, measures its length to ensure it meets standards, and then demands the appropriate alnage tax. This scenario illustrates the alnager's dual role in both enforcing quality control for woolen goods and collecting the specific tax associated with them.

• Consider a wealthy London merchant in the late 16th century who has imported a large shipment of woolen textiles from a provincial town. Upon arrival, the local alnager would be responsible for inspecting the entire consignment, verifying its dimensions and quality, and then calculating the total alnage tax due. The merchant would then pay this amount directly to the alnager, demonstrating the official's direct involvement in revenue collection for the Crown on commercial transactions involving wool.

• When historians examine ancient royal financial records from the 14th century, they might find detailed ledgers listing various sources of income. Among these entries could be specific sums attributed to "alnage collected by Master John, alnager for the county of Kent." Such a record provides direct evidence of an alnager's function as a tax collector, showing how their activities contributed to the royal treasury through the taxation of woolen cloth produced or traded within their jurisdiction.