Duty and taxes were raised in a an almost bizarre multiplicity of ways, before income tax was invented. Window tax and hair powder duty, are well known but Hearth Tax returns are potentially a rich source of information on families and houses, for local historians, where these survive.
The tax was levied from 1662 to 1689, with those receiving poor relief or in houses worth less than 20s per annum exempt. Otherwise 2s had to be paid for every hearth, at least where it could be found! Lists were compiled by the parish constable and taken to the JPs in Quarter Sessions.
Unfortunately Poling Hundred has nothing surviving apart from the 1670 tax, and that mere scraps of tatty paper with many names missing. Some parishes, such as Poling, have little of value remaining. Other local parishes are more fortunate, with East Preston fairly intact, and Angmering with enough to be very useful. It is split into three sections covering East Angmering, West Angmering, and Ham with Barpham.
Excellent work has been done latterly transcribing the returns:
Sussex Hearth Tax
Arundel Rape
TP Mitchell
1997
Mr Mitchell begins with a summary of the number of names, or houses, in each parish. This appears to agree with counts I made some years earlier.
East Preston 25 and none discharged
Ferring 33 and none discharged
Kingston 6 but there is a page after this missing, and the number is suspect.
[East] Angmering 26 with 15 illegible entries
West Angmering 33 with 3 illegible entries
Discharged in East and West 14
Barham [Barpham] and Ham 15 and none discharged
Kingston Mitchell variations (below)
William Oulder 3
Nicholas Abraham 1
John Knight 3 John Right
John Knight 1 John Right
John Prise 2
Widdow Haberdine 2East Preston
Widdow Badcocke 2 Widow …
Widdow Heberdine 2 Widoew …
Richard Haynes - Richard Haynes 1
Thomas Baker 3
Henry Braby 2 … and a forge
Thomas Lidgater 2
Henry Manning a new house
Thomas Lidgater 2
Henry Manning - Henry Maning
Thomas Masters -
Widdow Lee 2 Widow …
Nicholas Badcoke 2 Nicholas Badoke
Henry Manning 3 Henry Maning
Thomas Marting 2
James May 1
Thomas Barnes 5
Widdow Broockes 5 Widow ….
Edward Masters 3
Thomas Baker 4
Widdow Madehurst 3 Widow …
John Younge 3
William Edwards 4
William Harwood 3
Thomas Hall 5
Nathaniell Lidgater 3
[25 houses] 68
This ilustrates how some variations in transcribing sources is likely.
The Mitchell transcript for Angmering:
Angmering Tything [i.e. East Angmering]
Thomas OIliver -
for another house -
Edward Blaxton -
Widow Adams -
William B…. -
James … -
…. -
John C…. -
John Cher…st -
Thomas Dedman -
John G …. -
Thomas … -
…
…
…
Christopher …. -
….
..and Crea… -
John Stone for
two houses -
Henry Blaber -
John …. 1
John Grey 1
Anthony Clarke 1
Widow Penfolde 6
Edward Parsons 3
Thomas Carter 1
….. 5
64
[26 names but 28 houses]West Angmering Tything
John …. 5
William ..Isen 3
William ..grinn 4
John Younge 3
James Pager 3
John Oliver 3
William Griffen 2
Thomas Dench 1
Edward Hogtroat 3
Thomas Pannett 1
Thomas Joanes 2
Thomas Gittens 8
John Martin 1
John Bowley 1
William Fletcher 4
Richard Streater 1
John Scott 2
Thomas Pledge 1
Widow Pratt 1
for another house 2
Widow Hill 1
Richard Satcher 4
John Pratt 1
Henry Elliott 1
William Gardner 1
Robert Pannett 1
John Bunn 1
and a forge
Robert White 1
William Holden 1
Widow Clarke 2
Francis Knight 2
William Pratt 1
William Adams 4
John Maning 2
76
[33 names 34 houses and 1 forge]Discharged by Legal Certificates in East and West Angmering
Thomas Sturt 1
John Wise 1
William Parker 2
Thomas Dench 1
Abraham Taylor 2
Alice Dennicke 1
William Marten 1
Anthony Meryer 1
William Lawrence 1
Nicholas Buckwell 1
Edward Bowley 1
John Stempe 1
Thomas Adams 1
Widow Sturt 2
17
[14 names and houses]Barham and Ham [Barpham and Ham]
Mr Humphrey Gratwicke 6
for two house more 5
William Seloen 1 [Selden?]
Widow Brunsbury 1
John Higens 2
Widow Ragate 1
Widow Hall 1
Widow Howell 2
Richard Gurre 1
Widow Bunn 1
Widow Broocke 4
William Luggator 2
John Silvaster 1
Widow Baker 2
Thomas Drewett 1
Thomas Gardner 3
34
[15 names 17 houses]
In the way found with some Subsidies, the return for Ham and Barpham may be in two parts. The first part beginning with Gratwicke covering Ham and the last of the names Barpham. it is clear enough that Gratwicke lived at Ham House and Thomas Gardner has an inventory relating to Barpham. A Richard Gurr of Ham is named in WSRO HC1104 in 1674. William Selden of Ham in 1654, WSRO HC1033. Ham householders were probably those from Gratwicke to Bunn, and Barpham from Brook to Gardner.