Examples of Listings in the British Isles

In my last post I talked about the listings of early British Census and why they were collected, as outlined by Dr. Colin R Chapman in a talk I attended at our local Family History Society.   He also talked about where the lists were compiled.  This included:
-Country, principality, Province
-Counties
-Ridings, Sokes (called Baronies in Ireland)
-Hundreds, Rapes, Wapentakes
-Boroughs, Parishes, Townships.
For the Church there were provinces (examples: York, Canterbury)
-Archdioceses
-Diosceses, Sees
-Archdeconries
-Rural deconries
-Parishes; civil parishes

For the Manorial Lords – the lists were compiled by Honours and Manors.

EXAMPLES of Listings:
BDF Domesday 1086 – Phillimore Publishers (indexed work)

Saladin Tithe (1181); lay Subsidy Rolls (village taxpayer roles) – which weren’t annual

Poll Taxes – 1377, 1379, 1381.  Most comprehensive was the first one in 1377.  After that people got wise and tried to avoid being on the Poll tax list!

Easter Tax – 15th to 19th Century – vicker allowed to keep the collection at Easter. Kept lists of who actually contributed.

Military Lists – 1285 Statue of Winchester; 1522 Muster Rolls

First Real Census – 1523; also 1524-1525

1570 Sandwich Strangers.  Strangers = “Immigrants”.

1570 Pool – includes ships in Harbour

1592 – 1691 Recusants Rolls.  These were non-conformists – people not going to church; not necessarily all Catholic

School Records are great sources of information.

From c. 1600 manorial surveys more numerous

1603 – Communicants lists – people taking Communion (“Liber Cleri AD 1603” one example we were shown

Protests – lists that showed loyality, what side they were on.  Nation wide; not all available.

1665 – London Mortality Bill. Over 68,000 people died from the plague.

1668 London Survey

1660-1700 Poll Tax

1662-1788 Hearth Tax (number of fireplaces in a residence)

1676 – Compton (Sheldon) Census

From 1677 – Directories – trade, street, occupation; example Pigot’s Directory

1694 Aspley Guise; War Tax

1694 Marriage Duty Tax

From 1676 Poll Books (vote records) – even showed how they voted.  Apparently the secret ballot is a new invention.

1699 King’s Certainity Roll – yet another tax

1705 Papists Return – found in House of Lords

1723 CHS Oath of Allegiance

1696-1851 Tax on Windowed Rooms. Exempt were dairies and cheese rooms. That caused people to block up windows or add more dairy and cheese rooms!

1692-1831 Land Tax

1551 Provision and Relief of Poor

1753 Population Bill (lots of objections by the people on this one thus an Anti Population Bill appeared.)

From 1770 – many local census

1692-1831 Land tax

1780 and 1798 – very comprehensive Land Tax records.  Good source.

These are all resources containing names where you might find your ancestors.  My apologies if I typo’d a name or date.

Dr. Chapman said to start with the County Archives.  He also has written several books about British genealogy which can be found here: http://www.lochinpublishing.org.uk/books.htm

If you ever get a chance to hear Dr. Chapman speak I’d certainly recommend it.  His genealogy knowledge of the British Isles is extensive and he is a humorous and articulate speaker.

-Joan Miller

Author: © Joan Miller - Luxegen Genealogy.

The Luxegen Genealogy and Family History blog presents the family history stories of Joan Miller.