Ship-money, an impost levied by Charles I. in 1634-37, which led to fierce opposition on the part of Hampden and the parliament. In old English days royal navies were raised by the levying of ships; and under the early Norman kings the ports and the counties on the coast were called on from time to time to provide ships and men to strengthen a naval force paid for by the kings. In 1626 Charles's expedition to Cadiz was largely made up of merchant-ships pressed into the royal service; but it was in 1634, when the Dutch and French navies were well able to dispute England's sovereignty of the sea, that Charles set himself seriously to the work of greatly strengthening the English navy. By the advice of Noy, the attorney-general, he issued writs to the port towns to furnish ships, but agreeing to provide the ships if the towns would equip and man them. In 1635 he demanded the like from maritime and inland counties also; agreeing as before to find the ships if money for manning and equipment were provided by the counties. Thus a strong fleet was raised and manned with money which was not sanctioned by any parliamentary grant; and much grumbling was the result.
In 1637 Charles consulted the judges, and ten out of twelve declared that the king had a right to do what was necessary for the defence of the kingdom in times of danger. It was agreed that no tax could be levied without parliamentary sanction; but Charles maintained that ship-money was not a tax, but money paid in lieu of the performance of the duty incumbent on all Englishmen of defending their country. John
Hampden refused to pay the 20s. levied on his estate in Buckinghamshire, and his case was dealt with by the Exchequer Chamber (for the issue, see HAMPDEN). The Long Parliament in 1640 and 1641 pronounced the levying of ship-money illegal; and the bill to this effect received the king's assent, 7th August 1641.