In the 13th century Leicester was divided into four Townships ships for police purposes, and these "vills" were known as the North, South, East and West Gates, The same division was also adopted in the collection of taxes, but as the population of one quarter would dwindle and that of another increase, changes were made from time to time in their names and boundaries. In a Pontage Roll of 1252, the division is E., N. & S. Gates, a blank (presumably W. Gate), and another blank (presumably East Suburb). In the Tallage Rolls from 1269 to 1280, the division into E., S., N. and W. quarters is regular, except that the West quarter is sometimes omitted, and the Suburb is sometimes added. It is stated once that the collectors were elected by the community from each quarter. After 1280 the practice became irregular, and in the first half of the 14th century there are many rolls with no divisions indicated. From 1342 to 1356 the division into a S. and N. quarter, an E. suburb, a Swinesmarket quarter, and a Saturday Market quarter is fairly regular. No W. quarter is mentioned, and the Bishop's tenants living in the Bishop's Fee are sometimes given separately. The Auditors of Account (1477-1492) were chosen from the E., S. and N. quarters and from the Swinesmarket. After 1492 they were chosen from "the E. quarter without the Gate," "the E. quarter within the Gate," and the S. and N. quarters. The original quarters were marked out by the four streets leading to the four gates.
I. THE NORTH QUARTER.
The Northern, or North-western half of Leicester was so ruthlessly and completely destroyed after the siege of the town in the year 1173 that it remained for many centuries the least populous. In the latter half of the 13th century the following are the numbers of taxpayers recorded in seven tallage rolls.
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