Hearth Tax — Hundred of Brimstree, Salop — anno 25 Car. II. (1673)
assessor: Tho. Yardley, gent. of Worfield. for the King.
Returne at Lady-day, xxv March 1673. Towneship of Astley Abbots —
- Mr Ric. Pinches, of the Hall. hearthes: vij. chargeable: vij.
- Mat. Hodnett, yeoman. hearthes: iiij. chargeable: iiij.
- Wm. Bagley, cordwainer. hearthes: iij. chargeable: iij. [one in dwellinge, one in shopp, one in kitchen.]
- Joane Pritchard, widdowe. hearthes: ij. chargeable: none — receyveth aulmes of ye parish.
- sundrie cottagers, ix in number, chargeable none, certified poore by ye constable.
summa chargeable, this towneship — xiiij hearthes.
Returne at Michaelmas, xxix September 1673. Same towneship —
- Mr Ric. Pinches, as before. vij.
- Mat. Hodnett, as before. iiij.
- Wm. Bagley, cordwainer. hearthes: ij. chargeable: ij. [one in dwellinge, one in shopp.]
- Joane Pritchard, as before. none.
- cottagers, as before, ix, none chargeable.
summa chargeable, this towneship — xiij hearthes. wantes by one of Lady-day's reckoninge.
In the assessor's hand, in the margin against Bagley's name —
the kitchen chimney bricked up by his owne hand, on or aboute ye xij of May. visited by me ye xviij August. ye brick yet greene, the morter wett within, soote on ye flagg newly swept; one trivet stood against ye outer wall. enquired further: his wife sayth they cooke now at ye dwellinge fire. his prentice sayth as much. ye constable will not say.
At the foot of the leaf, an oath taken before me, the same xviij August —
I, Wm. Bagley of Astley Abbots, cordwainer, doe sweare upon ye holy Evangelistes that ye place in ye kitchen of my dwellinge wherein was formerlie a chimney is now noe hearth nor chimney, but a place stopt up and dead, neither warmed nor used, neither for dressinge of meat nor for any fire whatsoeuer; and that noe fire hath beene kindled therein since ye Feast of S. Philip and S. Iames last past.
so help me God. Wm. Bagley, his ✕ marke.
witnessed: Tho. Yardley, assessor. Jno. Coles, constable, his ✕ marke.
Below, in the assessor's hand, after the oath —
returned for ye Michaelmas charge at ij hearthes. ye third left unentred, the oath standinge. to be reuiewed at ye next Lady-day, if Bagley's chimney be opened.