Overview
billeting
Quick Reference
The right of the crown to demand accommodation for its troops was always part of the royal prerogative. Though it was never popular, since remuneration was often inadequate, it did not become a major constitutional issue until the 17th cent. The petition of right (1628) complained that ‘great companies of soldiers and mariners have been dispersed into divers counties and the inhabitants against their will have been compelled to receive them into their houses’. After the Glorious Revolution, the law was modified: ordinary citizens were not required to find billets, but innkeepers were obliged to accept troops and a scale of charges laid down.
Subjects: History — Regional and National History
