Powerstock
Hearth Tax Assessments
1662–1664
Extracted by Tony Higgins
The Hearth Tax was an attempt to tax people according to
their wealth, working on the principle that the wealthier they were the more
hearth's they would have in their home. The tax and variants were in
existence for several decades but records for this parish only exist for
1662 and 1664. It was often found that people had stopped up hearths after
the first taxation in order to reduce their tax
"The document here published is the Hearth Tax
Assessment for Dorset ...... for Michaelmas 1664; it is based on and
embodies the earlier assessment for 1662."
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Powerstock
PROTESTATION RETURNS 1641
Transcribed from original returns on microfilm by Tony
Higgins.
(Note: Ornate letters and unusual spellings introduce
uncertainties.)
The English Revolution (1640-60)
began in November 1640 when Charles 1st. summoned Parliament to help him out
of a financial crisis. Charles was very unpopular and was forced to agree to
radical reforms which gave Parliament a more prominent roll in the
constitution.
The political crisis escalated and
the "Long Parliament" split into two opposing parties in the Autumn of 1641,
forming the King's party of Royalists (Cavaliers) and the Parliamentarians
(Roundheads), who demanded further political and religious reforms. The
events of 1640/41 led to the Civil War which began in August 1642.
It was agreed and ordered on the 3rd
May 1641, that every Member of the House of Commons should make a
protestation (declaration of loyalty), which the House of Lords also agreed
to the following day.
The Commons ordered the printing of
the protestation and preamble on the 5th May 1641 and this was distributed
by the Members to their counties. The Protestation was to be made by
everyone and the Rectors, Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor had to
appear before the Justices of the Peace in their Hundred to make their
protestation and, on returning to their parishes, any two of them were to
witness the taking of the Protestation Oath by all males over the age of 18
years. All names were listed and anyone who refused was to be noted.
The protestation itself reads:-
I,-------- do, in the presence of
Almighty God, promise, vow, and protest to maintain, and defend as farr as
lawfully I maye, with my Life, Power and Estate, the true Reformed
Protestant religion, expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England,
against all Popery and Popish Innovations, within this Realme, contrary to
the same Doctrine, and according to the duty of my Allegiance, His Majesties
Royal Person, Honour and Estate, as alsoe the Power and Privileges of
Parliament, the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, and any person
that maketh this Protestation, in whatsoever he shall do in the lawful
Pursuance of the same; and to my power, and as farr as lawfully I may, I
will appose and by all good Ways and Means endeavour to bring to condign
Punishment all such as shall, either by Force, Practice, Councels, Plots,
Conspiracies, or otherwise, doe any Thing to the contrary of any Thing in
this present Protestation contained: and further, that I shall, in all just
and honourable ways, endeavour to preserve the Union and Peace betwixt the
Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland: and neither for Hope, Feare,
nor other Respect, shell relinquish this Promise, Vow and Protestation
(Note: Ornate letters and unusual spellings introduce
uncertainties.)
A true list of all the names of such as have take the
protestation in our parish of Powerstock in Ano Dony 1641
