Towns and town life

• New towns were founded as a result of increasing trade
• Many towns were established with a royal charter granting the town freedom from the control of the local lord and certain taxes
• Richard and John granted charters in return for large sums of money
• Guilds developed out of groups of individuals working for the same trade that would allow tradesmen an unrestricted right to trade in the town
• Trade was controlled by tolls which were paid on sales and services
• Tolls were also collected on certain roads and bridges to pass through town gates
• Market trade boosted a town’s income
• If roads became flooded or bridges collapsed, trade and the economy were affected
• Large towns enabled goods to be bought from and sold to foreign countries