ESSEX HEARTH TAX RETURN MICHAELMAS 1670
Edited by Catherine Ferguson, Christopher
Thornton and Andrew Wareham
British
Record Society, Hearth Tax Series, vol. 8
xvi + 670pp (including 27 colour illustrations and maps)
£28 + post
& packing
The aim of the British Academy
Hearth Tax Project, based at the University of Roehampton, is to
transcribe, analyse and publish the most complete
hearth tax returns for twenty three counties.
This volume publishes the Essex return for Michaelmas 1670, housed in the Essex Record Office in
Chelmsford. The document is in
Latin, but the book aims to make this completely accessible to the ordinary
reader, so it has been transcribed and, in places, translated. Remaining
Latin phrases, names and words are identified and accessible through an
easy-to-use glossary. As with all
our volumes, this edition is fully indexed for names, places and subjects,
with statistical tables, coloured maps and
plates.
The material is analysed by
three historians: Elizabeth Parkinson explains how the hearth tax was
administered and how this affects the interpretation. Professor Henry
French explores numerous crucial aspects of Essex’s rural and urban
society. Pat Ryan, D. Stenning and D. Andrews
examine Essex houses and the hearth tax and the development of vernacular
architecture. A complete list of surviving exemption certificates is
included.
This
book’s strong appeal for local, national and family historians is reflected
in its publication by the British Record Society and sponsorship from the
Essex Society for Archaeology and History. There are nearly 30,000 names
listed in the volume, each with their number of hearths.
How much does it cost?
£28 plus
post/packing. This is the same price as membership of the
British Record Society. Orders from the BRS Treasurer, Rosemount, Riggs
Place, Cupar, Fife, KY15 5JZ treasurer@britishrecordsociety.org. Alternatively,
why not subscribe to the British Record Society? It is only £28 a year for
individuals and you receive the latest publications FREE. Our
next publication will be London and Middlesex 1666 (2 vols). See our website http://www.britishrecordsociety.org or contact the Treasurer.