|
|
POOR LAW TAX ASSESSMENT 1618 (Part 1)
The Old Poor Law - 1601 "An Acte for the Reliefe of the Poore" 43rd year Elizabeth
The main objectives of the above act were for:
- the establishment of the parish as the adminstrative unit for poor relief, with church wardens or parish overseers collecting poor-rates and the allocation of relief;
- the provision of materials such as flax, hemp and wool to provide work for the able-bodied poor;
- the setting to work and apprenticeship of children;
- the relief of the 'impotent' poor - the old, the blind, the lame etc. This could include the provision of 'houses of dwelling' - almshouses, or poorhouses rather than the workhouse.
The collection of poor-rates was done by parish overseers who were unpaid and elected annually by the parish vestry. The poor-rate was originally a form of local income tax, but gradually evolved into the local rating system based on property values.
The transcription below is of an original 1618 assessment for Ashton-under-Lyne Parish. The parish used to be split into four divisions; Ashton Town, Audenshaw, Knott Lanes and Hartshead. You will find Ashton and Audenshaw in Part 1 and Knott Lanes and Hartshead in Part 2.
The following is a translation to be found in Winefred Bowman's book 'England in Ashton-under-Lyne'.
'Below is a copy of the assessment lay'd and appointed in the Fifteenth year of the Reign of James the First 1618; called the Fifteenth book for the Parish of Ashton-under-Lyne, together with the number of Acres in every inhabitant's holding, as the same was lay'd and appointed to remain a precedent for the whole parish.'
ASHTON TOWN
| Name | Acres | s. d. |
|---|---|---|
| Ralph Cocke | 31 | 4½ |
| William Cocke | 24 | 3¼ |
| Mr John Hartley | 40 | 6 |
| William Turner More in common | 1½ 2½ | ¾ |
| William Smith | 10 | 1½ |
| Sir George Booth in Chadwick and Knotts | 6 | 1 |
| Richard Oldham | 5 | 1 |
| George Cocke | 14 | 2 |
| Sir George Booth for Andrew Ground | 3 | - |
| Thomas Hammond More in common | 3 3 | 1 |
| Sir George Booth in Mabholes | 6 | 1 |
| Roger Smith | 3 | ½ |
| William Bamford | 10 | 1½ |
| Robert Walker for John Taylor's | 10 | 1½ |
| George Chadwick More in Common | 12 14 | 3 |
| Edward Newton | 17 | 2¼ |
| John Thorpe More in common | 17 2½ | 3 |
| William Grimshaw More in Common | 18 2 | - |
| John Robinson | 6 | 1 |
| John Sandiford and Ryecrofts | 7 | 1 |
| Sir George Booth and Ryecrofts | 7 | 1 |
| William Cocke More in Common | 17 4½ | 3 |
| Sir George Booth for Wo. Knotts | 10 | 1½ |
| John Smith | 16 | 2½ |
| John Knott and Charles Knott More in common | 4 6 | 1¼ |
| Thomas Procter | 1½ | ¼ |
| Sir George Booth Ground at Mill | 5 | 1 |
| Sir George Booth for Parkes | 3 | ¼ |
| Robert Ashton | 3½ | - |
| The Church Field | 8 | 1 |
| William Walker Junior | 10 | 1½ |
| George Knott | 3 | ½ |
| Ralph Stopford and William Walker and Company | 8 | 1 |
| Thomas Walker for William Cockers | 12 | 1¾ |
| Robert Slater for Knotts | 1 | ¼ |
| Robert Walker More in Common | 5 12 | 2¼ |
| Thomas Knott Senior and Fullaloves | 5 | 1 |
| Mrs Mary Raye | 17½ | 2¼ |
| Mr Booth for Cocker's Ground | 5 | 1 |
| Sir George Booth for Walker's Ground | 20 | 3 |
| Edward Ridings | 5 | 1 |
| Thomas Cocker | 5 | 1 |
| John Purseglove | 1 | ¼ |
| James Bould | 2½ | ¼ |
| John Howarth | 1½ | ¼ |
| Henry Hurst, William Bould and Henry Hudson | 4 | 1 |
| John Smith Junior | 2 | ¼ |
| Uxor of William Smith | 5 | 1 |
| Sir George Booth for Walker's de Brooke | 14 | 2 |
| Oliver Saxon | 4 | ½ |
| Nicholas Cocke for Palin's | 2 | ¼ |
| George Ashton | 4 | ½ |
| Nicholas Hyde | 14 | 2 |
| Edward Bardsley More in Common | 5 1 | 1 |
| Ralph Andrew | 1 | ¼ |
| Sir George Booth for Ashton and Bamfords | 6½ | ½ |
| Number of Acres and Sum Lay'd in Ashton Town is | 528½ | 6 6 |
AUDENSHAW
| Name | Acres | s. d. |
|---|---|---|
| John Sandford for Mr Booth | 47 | 6 |
| James Walker for Common | 10 | 1½ |
| Ralph Wood More in Common | 36 4 | 5½ |
| Robert Stansfield More in Common | 34 3½ | 5½ |
| Thomas Hirst | 2½ | ½ |
| Robert Chadderton | 7½ | 1 |
| Thomas Walker | 8 | 1 |
| James Kenworthy, Ex More in Common | 1½ 5 | ½ |
| Miles Hulton | 15 | 3 |
| John Heaton | 6½ | 1 |
| Ralph Hobson More in Common | 20 1½ | 3¼ |
| Richard Hobson | 20 | 3 |
| Oats Beeley | 7¼ | 1 |
| George Hulton | 1½ | ½ |
| William Smith | 9 | 1¼ |
| Thomas Leese | 4½ | ¾ |
| Widow Thorpe | 6 | 1 |
| James Ryecroft | 6 | 1 |
| Thomas Leese for Stanfields | 1½ | ½ |
| Ralph Thorpe | 1 | ¼ |
| John Bardsley | 4½ | ¼ |
| John Booth | 6 | 1 |
| John Sandford More in Common | 40 20 | 6 2 |
| Henry Saxon More in Common | 16 2¼ | 2½ |
| Ralph Stopford | 9 | 1½ |
| Nicholas Gee | 5½ | 1 |
| Nicholas Cocke | 3¾ | ¾ |
| Seth Booth | 8½ | 1 |
| Edward Stanley | 2½ | ½ |
| Thomas Walker de Milne | 14 | 2½ |
| Nicholas Saxon More in Common | 26 8½ | 4½ |
| Uxor of Edmund Hilton | 6½ | 1 |
| Uxor of William Hilton | 2 | ½ |
| Number of Acres, and sum layed in Audenshaw | 436½ | 5 3½ |
SHEPLEY
| Name | Acres | s. d. |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Ashton, Gent More in Common | 42¼ 4½ | 7½ |
| More in his Tenement | 38½ | 5½ |
| The said Robert Ashton in New Ground | 3½ | ½ |
| Robert Walker | 3½ | ½ |
| Thomas Kilshaw | 2½ | ݡ |
| Thomas Ashton de Brown Bank | 8 | 1 |
| George Walker | 2¼ | ½ |
| The number of acres, and sum layed in Shepley | 105 | 1 4 |
LITTLEMOSS
| Name | Acres | s. d. |
|---|---|---|
| William Bell, Gent | 60 | 8 |
| Robert Walker | 18 | 2 |
| John Hulton | 4¼ | ¾ |
| John Leech | 20 | 3 |
| Elizabeth Buckley More in Common | 24 1½ | 3 ½ |
| Nicholas Walker | 2½ | ½ |
| James Hulton | 2½ | ½ |
| Robert Cropper | 3½ | ¼ |
| Nicholas Hope | 6½ | 1½ |
| Richard Smith | 17½ | 2½ |
| Edmund Heywood | 3½ | ½ |
| Uxor Lawrance Knott | 2 | ½ |
| For Edward Smethurst Ground | 4½ | ¾ |
| William Hough | ½ | ¼ |
| William Hough de New Houses | 5 | 1 |
| Thomas Clough | 16 | 2 |
| Thomas Thorpe | 16 | 2 |
| William Radcliffe | 15½ | 2 |
| Richard Leese | 18 | 2½ |
| The number of Acres, and sum layed in Little Moss | 240¾ | 2 10 |
WATERHOUSES
| Name | Acres | s. d. |
|---|---|---|
| Samuel Jenkinson | 22 | - |
| Robert Bardsley | 24 | - |
| Uxor of Miles Bould | 10¼ | - |
| John Moss | 14 | - |
| The number of Acres, and sum layed in Waterhouses | 70¼ | 9 |
WOODHOUSES
| Name | Acres | s. d. |
|---|---|---|
| James Travis | 25 | 4 |
| Nicholas Newton | 19 | 3 |
| Richard Cumberbeach | 6 | 1 |
| Nicholas Newton and Robert Newton | 8 | 1¼ |
| John Hough | 8 | 1¼ |
| Robert Slater | 10 | 1½ |
| Samuel Jenkinson | 18½ | 3 |
| William Walker | 16 | 2 |
| John Sandford of Audenshaw | 10 | 1 |
| Samuel Jenkinson | 11 | 1¾ |
| Samuel Moss | 5 | 1 |
| Anthony Kershaw | 4 | ¾ |
| John Leese | 33 | 4 |
| George Leese | 2¾ | ¾ |
| Henry Beswick | 1¼ | ½ |
| Thomas Newton | 35½ | 4½ |
| Edmund Newton | - | - |
| The number of Acres, and sum layed in Woodhouses | 214 | 2 8½ |
| Home | Contents | Local Links | Useful Addresses | Family History Links | Forum | Contact |
 |