Until the 17th Century the state made no specific provision for old and injured soldiers. Care for the poor and sick was provided by the religious foundations. Much of this provision ended following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I it became recognised that provision needed to be made for the poor and for sick and disabled soldiers. This led to an Act of Parliament, passed in 1593, that levied a weekly tax (not exceeding 6d in the pound) on parishes for the relief of soldiers and sailors. The Civil War, between Charles I and Parliament, which started in 1642, required changes to the existing arrangements. Therefore, in 1645 Parliament decreed that pensions to disabled soldiers should be paid from national funds, not local taxation. The Restoration of Charles II, in 1660, and the disbandment of the Parliamentary Army and the return of exiled Royalist forces made the improvement of provision for the welfare of old or disabled soldiers a more pressing matter. By 1673 it was already being noted that some soldiers were no longer fit for service. It was common practice for maimed or old soldiers to be kept on regimental rolls, or sent on garrison duty - thus impairing the effectiveness of an army that was under heavy demand. King Charles was determined to make provision for the soldiers on the English establishment and on 22nd December 1681 he issued a Royal Warrant authorising the building of the Royal Hospital.