Hearth tax

[Mary from Italy]

I managed to get to the Lichfield Record Office while I was in England recently, and found a reference to what I think is one of my ancestors in a book containing a list of people assessed for hearth tax in 1666.

The Record Office said that they don't have any original records, although there may be something at Kew.

Is there likely to be any additional information at Kew? The book just showed the name of the house, the owner, and the number of hearths.

There doesn't seem to be anything on line on the TNA site.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Not sure if you have seen this Mary, or whether it helps at all.

The Hearth Tax 1662-1689

[Mary from Italy]

I hadn't, thanks - I always forget to look at their research guides.

[Phoenix]

Having looked at similar records of the period (the "Free and Voluntary" Gift to Charles II) I doubt you'd get any more. It is worth checking E179 for your parish of interest, to see what else is available, but only the nobbs are usually in there.

Usually a county has more than one heart tax assessment surviving. It is worth checking out, in case it is more detailed for your parish .

On balance, though, this will be a long, dirty, nibbled by rats document that will fly in your face, laugh and sneer at you, roll back over your hand. Even if you can find the right section, you may need ultra violet to view it. (Just imagine what Ancestry would have made of transcribing!)

[KiteRunner]

Usually a county has more than one heart tax assessment surviving.

Now that would have been a really cruel tax, don't you think?

[Phoenix]

My brother has just called me Shylock, so that must be a Freudian slip!

[Mary from Italy]

this will be a long, dirty, nibbled by rats document that will fly in your face, laugh and sneer at you, roll back over your hand.

That's a brilliant description