Hearth Tax

Die Hearth Tax was beplan as inkomste vir Charles II en ná 'n lang debat, oor die vereiste bedrag en die beste metode van belasting, het Sir William Petty sy mening uitgespreek dat mense se vuurherte, of skoorstene, die maklikste sou wees om te identifiseer en te evalueer.  Die Wet, wat 'n heffing van twee sjielings op elke haard en stoof plaas, om in gelyke dele op Ladyday (25 Maart) en by Michaelmas (29 September) betaal te word, het in in 1662 in werking getree. Die inwoners van die geboue moes besonderhede van die aantal vuurherte voorsien en die belasting betaal, maar eienaars was aanspreeklik vir eiendomme wat leeggestaan het. Die volgende stap was om die hoeveelheid vuurherte te evalueer.  Die persone wat belastings moes vorder, het mense en eiendomme gelys en hulle het die areas op logiese wyse deurgewerk, sodat daar nie weglatings kon plaasvind nie.  Hulle is ook deur die constables van die distrik vergesel, wat die area geken het.  (http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3426/1/251201.pdf )  Die oorspronklike wetsontwerp het 'n praktiese tekortkoming gehad, deurdat dit nie onderskei het tussen eienaars en bewoners nie en potensieel was dit 'n groot las op die armes, aangesien daar geen vrystellings was nie.  Die wetsontwerp is hierna gewysig, sodat die belasting deur die bewoner betaal word.  Verdere wysigings het 'n reeks vrystellings gemaak, waarvolgens 'n aansienlike deel van die armer mense nie die belasting hoef te betaal nie. Vrystellings is aan mense verleen wat te arm was om die Poor rate te betaal en wie se persoonlike eiendom baie laag gewaardeer was.  Hierdie arme mense moes 'n sertifikaat van hul gemeente beamptes verkry, wat deur die JP's onderteken is.  Aanvanklik het die constabels die geld versamel, waarna dit na die Sherriffs gestuur is. Die eerste opname in 1662 het met 'n nasionale totaal van ongeveer 1.700.000 vuurherte opgelewer.  (http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3426/1/251201.pdf)

London Hearth Tax: City of London, 1662.

Cobbs Yard.  In the Precinct of St Anne Blackfryers

Thomas Wortley 5 Hearths

(Originally published by Centre for Metropolitan History, 2011.)

Van 1664 af moes almal, wie se huis meer as twee hearths gehad het, belasting betaal, selfs al was hulle andersinds vrygestel en veranderinge is gemaak om die omvang van belastingvermyding te verminder.  Die belasting was die swaarste op diegene wat die huise met grootste hoeveelhede hearths beset het.

Hearth Tax 1666

'Hearth Tax: Middlesex 1666, Chiswick', in London Hearth Tax: City of London and Middlesex, 1666

Sir Fra.  Wortley                 12           s             Emty; emptie

                                             6           s             Emty; another of his emptie

City of London 1666, St Martin Ludgate

St Martins Ludgate South syd: in a little Courte

Richard Wortley                 4             s            

Mr          Wortley                4             s             owner of an emptie house

Durham:

Wortley, Will. Chester, Middle Lamesley, Hedley.  Paying

Hearth Tax.  Michaelmas. 1670.

 Essex:

Wordley, Tho

 One of the regulations related to smithy hearths, which led to the Sheffield Hearth Tax returns of 1672 being so valuable to historians. Industrial hearths such as kilns, blowing houses and stampfurnaces were exempt from the tax. Bakers' ovens and smithy forges were not always liable, as the wording was open to different interpretations.  Dit het verwarring veroorsaak. (http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3426/1/251201.pdf)

Yorkshire, East Riding Hearth Tax Return, 1672L (E179/205/504) and Kingston Upon Hull, Hearth Tax Return, 1673L (E179/205/505)

Forename  Surname  Mem   Ref.   Wapentake / Hundred Constabulary / Ward

Jon              Wortley    m.       13      Buckrose Wharram le Street and Wharram Percy

Hearth Tax, Lady Day 1672

West Riding

The professional men and gentry were identified in the lists by the designation of 'Mr' or by having 'gent' or 'esquire' after their names.

Wortley: Francis, Strafforth and Tickhill; Francis; Sir, Staincross; George, Agbrigg and Morley; John, Agbrigg and Morley; Mr, Agbrigg and Morley; Mrs, Staincross; William, Agbrigg and Morley

Treeton

Francis Wortley                       2

Shepley (Shipley)

John Wortley                            2

Willm Wortley                           2

Thornhill

George Wortley                        1

Thornhill burials:

1670.  October 7th Mary Wortley of Thornhill was buried.

1681.  Anne the wife of George Wortley of Thornhill A.r.

1701, Mar.  Grace the wife of George Wortley of Thornhill

1707, Mar. 25.  George Wortley of Thornhill

1713. Jan 25.  Mary the wife of John Wortley of Thornhill

1718.  Widow Wortley of Thornhill buried.

1737-39.  Ann Wortley Buried.

1738.  John Wortley o'th Edge.

(http://archive.org/stream/publications40yorkuoft/publications40yorkuoft_djvu.txt)

Hunself

Empty and no distress to be had The Executor of Sir Francis Wortley           1

Wortley

Mrs. Wortley                           2

Wortley Hall                          18      

Empty and no distress to be had Sir Francis Wortley heires                            1

Doncaster, High Street and Scot Lane

Mr.  Wortley                           5

Mexbrough (Mexborough)

Mr.  Wortley                           1

(http://www.hearthtax.org.uk/communities/westriding/w_yorks_transcript.pdf)

It was said that "gentlemen are made good cheap in England;"anyone with a master's degree from one of the two universities (Oxford and Cambridge) counted as a gentlemen, as did any member of a profession (physician, lawyer). The means of gentlemen varied enormously, from small farmers to extremely wealthy landowners. Gentlemen held political power locally as Justices of the Peace and nationally as Members of Parliament. Gentry made up approximately 2% of the English population in 1600, but owned 50% of land (the nobility owned about 15%; church & crown owned most of the remainder).  (Sommerville, J.P.:  Economy and society in early modern England)

Vuurherte van Wortley Hall