was an imposition charged upon the ports, towns, cities, boroughs, and counties of this realm, in the reign of king Charles I. by writs, commonly called ship-levies, under the great seal of England, in the years 1635 and 1636, for the providing and furnishing of certain ships for the king's service, &c., which was declared to be contrary to the laws and statutes of this realm, the petition of right and liberty of the subject, by stat. 17 Car. I. c. 14. See Blackstone's Commentaries, vol. iv. p. 30.