Genealogy Chat

Adding so I can find this later - am just embarking on my research for this century -!!

Thanks for all the advice given!

Kaz :o)

Athena

Love the 'Hair Powder Tax' records :)))

My mind is working overtime as to how they worked that out.....By weight of powder used??
I have visions of a man sitting in a house shaking out wigs to calculate the applicable amount of tax....LOL

Seriously though. Did an individual have to declare they used powder and they were then taxed?

Chris

*** UPDATE ****
Just found the answer......For those interested

http://www.printsgeorge.com/Jane_Austen-law.htm#powder

I was lucky enough to have one branch of my tree originate in Wiltshire - plus they had an unusual surname, so it was relatively easy to trace back to the beginning of records in the mid-1500s (although I still spent many hours, up all hours of the night piecing them all together and then double-checking over and over again).

GENFAIR online have an extensive amount of information for anyone researching in that area (supplied by the Wiltshire Family History Society).

I was able to purchase via their website transcribed copies of the following (at very reasonable cost):

parish registers
apprentice records
bastardy records
church pew rents
Marriage allegations 1598-1638
Hair powder tax records
Salisbury records (Strangers in Salisbury 1675-1738 & Relief of poor 1757 and Gifts for poor apprentices, children bound and prisoners)

I also managed to find a few old wills, which shed light on quite a few things and made the whole research so much more interesting!

A trip to the Wiltshire Records Office last year enlightened me further when I was able to find certain prisoners records and court info.

So, if you have ancestors from Wiltshire you have plenty of resources available - most of which can be ordered from the comfort of your own home without having to traipse down to the RO. Check out the WFHS or GENFAIR website and you'll see what I mean.

Athena

Michael

I do sympathise, as my last real sighting of one of mine in Northants is 1633 bap in a small hamlet, although I did find his Commonwealth Marriage in 1657 in another hamlet close by but into Hunts. These Commonwealth Marriages are fairly unique and also unusual as not many have survived, so if you find one then do take note.

I can only suggest, to start with, that you take all the parishes around your one of interest to include maybe those over the borders and check their registers first at least to eliminate if nothing else. I am doing that with mine over the borders into Beds/Hunts and Leicestershire.

I am sure you are aware that most people took the sides of the people they were working for, so Estate Records would be very valuable and in this the A2A site is so good for giving leads. Good luck as it is a fascinating time to have ancestors.

Janet

That's brilliant Chris

Janet NLB

Thanks for nudging Janet.

I am adding my 'crib sheet' for 17th century possible resources for research.....Some of which my have already been covered in this thread.

Please note I am only listing what could be available, specifically, for the 17th Century.

Deeds
Feet of Fines
Manor Court Rolls
Inquisition Post Mortem (to early 17c)
Lay Subsidies
Quarter Sessions
Probates
Chancery Proceedings
Visitations (to early 17c)
Apprentices and Freemen
School and University Registers
Marriage Licences
Parish Registers
Bishops Transcripts
Non Conformist Records
Jewish Records
Quaker Records (from mid 17c)
Poor Law (from mid 17c)
Roman Catholic Records (from mid to late 17c)
Commercial Directories (from late 17c)

Chris

nudge

Janet North London Borders

keep nudging for the future

nudge for future us love linda x

Nudge janet

Annie Excellent thread. Would also suggest that people not only join the Family History Society/ies of their county or counties of interest, but that they also join the Local History or Record Societies. I am heavily into Northants and have joined not only the Northants FHS but also the Northants Record Society. I obtain a copy of the Northants 'Past and Present' every year, which always contain very interesting articles on many of the places in Northants, detailing families and names within a given area. I also get a free book on all sorts of areas in Northants. One book that I have is called'Early Northants Wills' and that has been a very valuable source as many go back to the 1400's. I also have the chance to purchase many indepth books quite cheaply. I have 1 on Rockingham Forest telling me about life in that area in the 1400 to 1700 era and another book on the Hotot family of the 1400's.This has led me on to other books and a deeper understanding of Northamptonshire Life, as well as leading to many many names in all the books I have, going back to the 1500's, which has led me to other villages for research. Once you have names for estate papers the A2A site is amazing as it tells you where they all are. The Estate Papers are not necessarily with the county of interest. As the population of the UK in the 1600's was only about 4 million people, even the Smiths/Smythes are not too daunting in a small village! A Local History Library will often give detailed information on any given area which you can then follow up by accessing other books that may be referenced in this way. Janet

nudge for later

There is a thread that has parish registers that are online. If you are researching Cornish ancestors, then you are very fortunate because of the online parish clerks that do transcribing of parish registers. If you are researching ancestors from Suffolk, then this site is well worth exploring - because of people who do look-ups and because of other people that may be sharing your interests:- www.suffolk-surnames-list*.*co.uk/

Nudge for other brave souls.

Wills if you can find them can be suprisingly informative. Here is my ggggggg......grandmother's from 1623. 17 It(e)m I gyve and 19 bequeath more unto the sayd Margarett my 20 daughter my best garment my best Peticote 21 my cloak one dubble cauchion one p(ar)telett 22 one smock peticote one round caushon 23 & my best hatte. It(e)em I give & bequeath 24 unto Katherine Bridge my God daughter 25 my biggest brass kettle savinge one & 26 my best brasse kettle savinge one, one pewter 27 platter, one brasse chaffingedyshe one cowe 28 & one sheete of linnen cloth. It(e)m I gyve 29 & bequeath more unto the sayd Katherine 30 Bridge my God Daughter one payre of 31 squares, one p(ar)telett, one apron, one pillowbere 32 one whyte towell, one drink barrell & 33 one open barrel. It(e)m I gyve & bequeath 34 to Anne Shepheard one hatte for 35 the ladies, one peticote, one dubble cauchon 36 & one smocke. It(e)m I gyve & bequeath unto 37 Katherine Hope my Godchild one pewter 38 platter, one pottinger & one boorde cloathe 39 All the rest of my goods by this my last will 40 & Testament not given nor bequeathed 41 I gyve & bequeath unto Peter Hope 42 my sonne whom I make & ordaine my sole 43 Executor of this my last will and Testament 44 In wittness whereof I have hereunto 45 sett my hande & seale. Dated the day 46 & yeare beforewritten. 47 Wittnesses hereunto 48 William Hill by me Katherine 49 Richarde Bridge Hope

Although luck DOES have alot to do with it, be cheered by the fact that if you can get a hook into one ancestor in the 1600s, you will probably find a lot more! I would add to the list above - Estate Papers. The great County families were still operating a manorial system, largely, and most kept copious records, which have been preserved. The detail on some of these papers is stunning - Gilbert Holden in 1559, paying £20 for 200 fat geese from the 'Goseman', for distribution to his estate workers on the occasion of the birth of his first (legitimate!) son. 'The upper workers and stewards and freemen to have the fattest, the lower to have the thin' - not much changed there, then! I always think of the 1600s as being a link between the 'Dark ages' and the modern world we live in. It is truly fascinating, and some of the Manor Leet Court hearings are hilarious! We tend to think that the lower orders in those days had no rights and no representation in law, but that is certainly not true as far as I can see. A Bonded servant complains to the ~Leet Court that his daughter has been ill-used by her master. The master is fined, the Estate gets half (LOL!) but the girl gets half too - amazing in 1615! OC

As an example, these are all the taxation records that TNA hold for the village of Edgefield, Norfolk to the period 1600 - 1700: E179/153/514 [1602 Feb 1 or later] 1601 Dec 15 eight fifteenths and tenths E179/153/538 [1606 Aug 1 or later] 1606 May 17 six fifteenths and tenths E179/153/542 [1607 Nov 1 or later] 1606 May 17 six fifteenths and tenths E179/153/546 [1610 May 1 or later] 1606 May 17 six fifteenths and tenths E179/153/570 1621 April 30 1621 Jan 30 x Feb 17 two subsidies E179/153/577 [1624 July 10 or later] 1624 May 13 or later three fifteenths and tenths E179/153/579 1625 March 7 1624 May 13 or later three subsidies E179/153/605 [1628 Oct 24 or earlier] 1628 June 16 x 29 five subsidies E179/153/613 1628 Dec 4 - 8 1628 June 16 x 29 five subsidies E179/154/665 1661 Sept 28 1661 July 8 free and voluntary present E179/154/667 1664 Feb 26 - March 23 1663 July 27 four subsidies E179/154/668 [1663 Oct 15 or earlier] 1663 July 27 four subsidies E179/154/678 1667 April 13 1667 Jan 18 act for raising money by a poll E179/154/693 1667 March 13 - April 20 1667 Jan 18 act for raising money by a poll E179/154/697 [1673 March x Sept 19] 1662 May 19 hearth tax E179/154/698 1678 May 6 - July 12 1678 March 20 act for raising money by a poll E179/154/699 1678 May 8 - Oct 18 1678 March 20 act for raising money by a poll E179/154/715 [1595 Oct 1 x 1604 June 30] 1593 March 24 three subsidies This is from the E179 database on TNA's website. Probably half of them contain lists of names, and the rest are just summaries.

Latin: Amo, Amas, I love a lass, Bella is her name, Bellum is a war. for those of you who are too young to have done latin at school. The national archive has a free 0n-line latin course as well as one on reading old hand writing. Family search.org has a useful latin vocabulary under research help.

Aaargh. Just realised those were not nudges! Will delete when told to!

Although there is almost always a generation hiatus in parish records (if the earlier registers have not been lost) it is a much easier century to research that the 1700s. 1. There are lots of lists and taxes: hearth tax, free & voluntary [sic!] present, lay subsidies etc. Lots of these have been published. 2. Records are in English during the Commonwealth 3. Wills during the Commonwealth are proved centrally, so there is only one place to look: Documents Online. I think that administrations are indexed in published volumes.