OLNEY HEARTH TAX EXEMPTION CERTIFICATES FOR 1670, 1671 and 1672

The Hearth Tax was introduced in 1662 as a means of raising additional revenue. Householders were required to pay pay two shillings for each fire-hearth, one shilling at Michaelmas and one at Ladyday (25 March). Only those whose house was worth more than 20 shillings a year and who paid church and poor rates were liable for hearth tax. The tax-collectors had to collect an exemption certificate from those who were not eligible to pay. The certificate had to be signed by the incumbent, churchwardens and overseers of the poor, and countersigned by two Justices of the Peace.

The tax was imposed between 1662 and 1688. Only tax returns for 1662-1666 and 1669-1674 were sent in to the Exchequer. Outside these dates, the tax was farmed out to private collectors who paid a fixed sum to the government in return for the for the right to collect the tax. These collectors did not have to send returns to the exchequer. The most complete return for the country which survives is that for 1664.

The occupier of every house in the parish had to submit a written statement of the number of hearths in his house to the parish constable. The constable made out a parish assessment and collected in the tax half-yearly. He then drew up a return of the money collected, or made notes on the assessment that the money had been paid.

These parish returns were submitted to the Clerk of the Peace who made a county roll which was sent to the Exchequer. The orginal copies made by the constables are likely to be the most accurate because the constable was familiar with the names of the local people.

The Society is in receipt of data for Olney only for the three years 1670, 1671 and 1672. The data was kindly provided by Nigel Sawyer and Sue Blake kindly assisted in the transcription of the names.

The statement at the top of each exemption certificate (broadly translated) reads as follows:

We the Minister of the Parish of Olney in the County of Bucks with the Church Wardens of the said Parish, do hereby certify unto his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County of Bucks, That we do believe that the respective Houses wherein the Persons hereunder named do Inhabit, are not of greater value than twenty shilling per annum upon the full improved Rent. And that neither the person so inhabiting, nor any other using the same messuages (dwelling house with the adjacent buildings and curtilage for the use of the household) has, or uses, or occupies any Lands or Tenements of their own, or others, of the yearly Value of twenty shillings per annum. Nor has any Lands, Tenements, Goods, of Chattels, of the value of ten Pounds in their own possession, or in the possession of any other in trust for them. And that the said houses have not above two Chimneys, Fire-hearths, and Stoves in them respectively.

Witness our Hands this 29 day of June 1670.

The names on the certificates for the three years 1670, 1671 and 1672 are shown transcribed in the table below. The spelling of the names is reproduced as per the original certificates. Unfortunately, very little information is given on the certificates regarding the occupation and status of each person .

The part of each original certificate depicting the names is shown under the table.

 

1670(June)			1671(Sept)			1672(July)
Surname	First Name	Occupation/ Status	Surname	First Name	Occupation/ Status	Surname	First Name	Occupation/ Status
Phillippes	John		Tandy	Tho		Roper	Robert
Grigges	Rowland		Scott	Tho		Masser	Jacobb
Clyston	John		James	Wid		Edinges	Will
Poulsher	Thomas		Pike	Wid		ffreeman	Tho
Roper	Robert		Goodwin	James		Cox	Widdow
Hind	Richard		Laughton	Rich	Senior	Phillippes	John
Hind	Thomas		Phillipps	Tho		Gale	Widdow
James	Margarett		Grigges	Wid		Osborne	Will	Sen
Laughton	Richard	Senior	Clyston	John		Templeman	Edward
Britten	Lyonell		Polcher	Tho		Hulett	ffrancis
Townsend	Francis		Cowper	Rob		Androwes	Thomas	butcher
Pike	Widdow		Hinde	Tho	Junior	Eides	Widdow
Goodwin	Jane		Hinde	Rich		Davis	Richard
Eides	Widdow		Britten	Lyonell		Bird	Eliz
West	Thomas		Townsend	ffra		Scott	Tho	Sen
Barnett	Widdow		Eides	Wid		Hinde	Tho	Junior
Adkins	Thomas		West	Tho		Strickington	Geo
Hind	Widdow		Adkins	Tho		ffox	Will
Crick	Mary		Barnett	Wid		Johnson	Will	labourer
Jeffery	Widdow		Hinde	Widdow		Grigges	Tho	Labourer
Castell	Widdow		Crick	Mary		Ashburner	Tho	savant
Davis	Richard		Morgan	Wid		Davis	Widdow
Green	William		Phillipps	Wid		Boswell	John
Hatinge	Daniell		Cox	Wid		Jackson	Samuell
Jackson	Francis		ffrance	Cristo[pher]		Culter	Hanna
Abraham	Widdow		Barnes	Wid		Clyston	Widdow
Greene	Thomas		Browne	Tho		Tandy	Thomas
Stringer	John		Gibbes	Mat		James	Margery
Hathorne	Widdow		Baylie	Rich		Boone	Geo
Ginsam/ Girsam	Thomas		Knight	Tho		ffox	John
Garner	Anthony		Tyrrill	Wid		Tyrrill	Widdow
Nuse	Widdow		ffox	John		Edwardes	Robert
Hatter	Robert		Cattell	Wid		Britten	Tho
Spirkes	William		Cattell	Rich		Jackson	ffrancis
Robinson	Widdow		Basse	Wid		Cattell	Robert
Hootton	Peter		Sanders	Rob		Benson	Widdow
Tame	John		Parker	Edw		Townsend	ffrancis
Carter	Thomas		Whitinge	Tho		Williams	Thomas
ffrance	Jeremy		Taylor	Wid		Gibbe	James
Dinitt	John		Edinges	Will		Polher	Tho
ffox	William		ffreeman	Wid		Grigory	Geo
James	Edward		Elles	Jo:		Scott	Thomas	Junior
West	Robert		Robinson	Henry		Hatinge	Daniell
Notingham	Widdow		Davis	Richard		Hathorne	Joyce
Scithington	George		Greene	Will		ffrance	Jeremy
Assaby	Mary		Hatinge	Danniell		Wilkisson	Abell
Meadborah	Widdow		Abraham	Wid		Nuce	Widdow
Clyston	William		Greene	Tho		Grigges	John
Sanders	Thomas		Stringer	Wid		Hotton	Thomas
Androwes	Widdow		Greene	Wid		Osborne	Will	Junior
Jackson	Samwell		Girsom	Tho		Lynn	Widdow
Dix	John		Garner	Anth		Betcham	Tho
Laughton	Richard	Junior	Nuse	Wid		Partridge	John
Allesson	William		Hatter	Rob		Pilgrim	Jo
Stamford	William		Spirkes	Will		Penn	Tho
Boswell	John		Robinson	Wid		Smart	Stephan
Morgan	John		Hootton	Peter		Boswell	Widdow
Dickines	Widdow		Tame	John		ffrance	Jo
Hatter	William		Carter	Tho		Cowper	Will
Kitchiner	Widdow		ffrance	Joan		Brierly	Samwell
Abraham	John		Dinitt	John		Elles	John
Abraham	Edward		ffox	Will		Abbott	Robert
Harrisson	Widdow		James	Edw		Parker	Edw
Clyston	Rowland		West	Rob		James	Will
Androwes	Thomas		Notingham	Wid		Rogers	John
Morgan	Widdow		Scrigington	Geo		Charge	Jane	Widdow
Phillippes	Widdow		Ashby	Mary		Papper	Henry
Cox	Widdow		Phillippes	Sam		Symth	Edward
france	Christopher		Clyston	Will		Ablett	Jo
Barnes	Widdow		Sanderson	Tho		Robinson	Will
Brawne	Thomas		Cutler	Hanna	Wid	Starlinge	Will
Gibbes	Mathew		Jackson	Sam		ffoskett	Will
Bayly	Richard		Dix	John		Rogers	Sam
Knight	Thomas		Laughton	Rich	Junior	Thorneton	Tho	Laborer
Tyrrill	Widdow		Mallard	Tho		Brawne	Thomas
ffreeman	Thomas		Allisson	Will		Barnes	Widdow
ffox	John		Stanford	Will		Boswell	Jo	Mason
Cattell	Widdow		Pilgrim	Jo		Phillippes	Widdow
Catell	Robard		Morgan	Jo		West	Thomas	Senior
tandy	Thomas		Dickins	Wid		West	Robert	Junior
ffox	John		Hatter	Widdow		Stamford	Will
Edwardes	Robart		Kitchiner	Wid		Reyinshson	Mich
Johnson	Will.		Hatter	Will		Laughton	Richard	la:
Androwes	Tho.		Abraham	Jo		Assaby	Mary
Watson	(not given)		Abraham	Edw		Rose	Ralph
Starling	Will.		Clyston	Wid		Cattell	Widd
ffoskitt	Will.		Androwes	Tho		Robines	John
Robinsan	Will.		Read	Tho		Crick	Mary
Gibbes	James		Charge	Jane		Pyke	Widd
Dickinson	Mat.		Edwards	Robert		Goodwin	Jane
Byway	Widdow		Eason	Will		James	Widdow
Ablett	John		Carrold	John		Peeters	Thomas
Davis	Widdow		Johnson	Will		Carter	Tho
Smyth	Edw.		Jininges	Rob		West	Robert	Senior
Eason	Will.		Androwes	Tho		Tame	John
Read	Tho.		Watson	Rich		Dinitt	John
Change	Jane		Starlinge	Will		Lord	Tho
Carrold	John		ffoskitt	Will		Weatherhead	Joyce
Edinges	Will		Robinson	Will		Robinson	Widdow
Taylor	Widdow		Mallard	Jo		Adkins	Tho
Edinges	Will		Gibbes	James		Garner	Anthony
Basse	Widdow		Dickinsson	Martha		Girsom	Tho	Senior
Whitinge	Tho		Byway	Wid		James	Edw
Parker	Edw.		Ablett	John		Androwes	Tho	Laborer
Sanderson	Robert		Davis	Wid		Wildman	Widdow
ffreeman	Widdow		Hinde	John		Smyth	Widdow
Elce	John		Smyth	Edw		Wattes	Jo
Brierly	Joseph		Baylie	Rich		Sanderson	Tho
Hulett	ffra.		Brierly	Joseph		Mallard	Jo
Brierly	Sam.		Britten	Tho		ffrent	Will
Britten	Thomas		Osborne	Will	Junior	Laughton	Jo	Senior
Ponter	Widdow		Brittin	Rich		Knight	Tho	Molcatcher
Gale	Widdow		Gale	Widdow		Basse	Widdow
Wattes	Wid		Wattes	Widdow		Whitinge	Tho
Osbourne	Will	Junior	Wilby	Henry		Allesson	Will
Wilby	Henry		Hinde	Wid		Clyston	Will
Lynn	Wid		Hootton	Tho		Phillippes	Sam
Hootton	Tho		Marriott	Math		Wilby	Henry
Baylie	Rich.		Rigges	Wid		Hinde	Jo
Marriott	Mathew		Cowper	Wid		Stapp	Wid
Rigges	Wid		Sibtharpe	Rob		Notingham	Wid
Cowper	Wid		Bolswell	Widdow		Hatter	Will
Sibtharp	Rob.		Smart	Stephan		Bayly	Rich
Boswell	Wid		ffrance	John		Hinde	Ric
Smart	Stephen		Griggs	Tho		Bowker	Rob
ffrance	Jo.		Goodale	John		Hatter	Rob
Grigges	Tho	labourer	Androwes	John		Reade	Tho
Goodale	Jo.		ffront	Will		Spirkes	Will
Clare	ffrancis		Templeman	Edw		Weatherhead	Suz
ffront	Will		Wattes	John		Goldsmyth	Sebin
Templeman	Edw		Smyth	Edw		Clark	Suz
Pilgrim	Jo		Wildman	Wid		Grigges	Tomas	laberer
Wattes	Jo		Clark	Suz		Smyth	Mary
Smyth	Edw		Bird	Elizabeth
Wildman	Wid		Singard	John
Clark	Suz		Collines	Rob
Bird	Eliza		West	Rob
Sergant	Jo		Price	Arther
Collines	Robert		Barnes	Geo
West	Robert		Davis	Joane
Pr[ice]	Anthony		Nichalles	Isack
Boone	Geo		Rose	Wid		Signatories:
Da[vis]	Joane		Beard	John		Neale	John	Minister
Johnson	Thomas		Vause	Lewis		Duncombe	Tho	Church Wardens
Chester	An					Norton	B
						Osborne	Christopher	Overseeres of the poor
Signatories:			Signatories:			Ashburner	Richard
Freeman	Samuel	Vic	(No settled minister)			Pye	Mathew
Morgan	Thomas	Church Wardens	Line	Thomas	Church Wardens	Cliston	John
Stanton	Francis		(Not identifiable)			Henley	Isaack