Annex 3

Notes on the Hearth Tax Records

Records in the Anglican Registers

Ten of the taxpayers appear: this is a list of the last mention of them.

  • Mrs Deek was alive in 1666
  • John Missing was buried in 1667
  • Thos Plaile was alive in 1665
  • John Walkinson was buried in 1667
  • Roger Roberts was buried in 1668
  • John Cragg was alive in 1664
  • Thos ffitch was alive in 1662
  • Thos Wiborow was alive in 1665
  • Jas Smith was buried in 1668
  • John Brown was alive in 1666

These data are consistent with my interpretation of the dating of the taxation records.

Some notes on nearby villages

1664 246/26
SturmereTimothy CockiiCould Robert Cock clicus having been living with a relative?
Bumsted ad TurrumJohn CookeDid we have Cooke or Cock?
Ridgewell 39/91 I guess I mean 39 Hearths in 91 messuages
Wm PeacockviThen 0 between lines, then vi, then emy (presumably = empty)
This is just like the Stambourne entry for Pannell
Ed Copseyii (1662)
Toppesfield 57/145
Birdbrook____ Presumably none of our important names here
The largely illegible contemporary opening paragraph is now in the text.
1665 246/20
Uttlesford Hundred & so on
Toppesfield 67/124+ 41 empty & 1 burnt down
1664 & 1666112/687Subs (Freehearths)
There are some very odd notes at the end of this record: a largely undecipherable blotty cipher reads:
iiJohn ffalconeriinow john Levitt
iiiDaniel Smithiiione stopped up by his sonne
iv James Smithiva squiggle that may be ISQ
Den fisson but Look Vlyd [these 2 words may be Deek widow]
Doseds Ay nii Js [is this some figure + a half ?]
hiw offin squiggle
iiWilliam Robertsoniianother squiggle that may be ISQ or the word one
iiJohn Browneiidemi ol al bt Prersen; this line may be joined to the ‘one’ above

Apart from possibly referring to Mrs Deek taking over from Thos Pannell in line 3 and the similarity to the other irregular ‘accompts’ I don’t see that these help.

The best copies are my original pencil sketches in the Hearth Tax file in the Havers volume.

Return to Chapter 6 – Lay governance and buildings