About benevolence
A benevolence, also called a loving contribution, voluntary contribution or free gift, was a type of tax imposed by several English monarchs from the 15th to the 17th century. Although taken under the guise of a charitable contribution to the monarch, the money was in fact extorted from the monarch's subjects. Commissioners or letters were sent from town to town, detailing the financial need of the monarch and asking that the town's wealthiest pay. The requested could not refuse to give, unless they denied the monarch's need or professed their own poverty, a "doubtless difficult, if not virtually impossible" task. Benevolences allowed the monarch to raise money outside of Parliament, which traditionally had to authorise any tax the king proposed.
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