Tax (1578)

Post date: Mar 09, 2018 8:3:32 PM

W.A. Bolt in his Supplement to "Wateringbury in the Past" (dated 1972; copy held in WLHS library) has a copy of a document held in Kent archives (ref P/385/11/17) with the date 1578 (probably added later) as follows:

A taxe made the 27th of December to be levied in the parishe of Wateringburys for one month beginninge now at Christmas towards the findinge of two women chosen to be viewers

of bodies of such as shall dye within the parishe according to recommendment received from the bishop sitting at Addington the 15th of the present month as followeth.."

The first name is De la Hay and the second George Codd. There are 13 names in total.

Greensted refers to a similar tax 9 years later. "Ano 1587 a cess was made to pay two women as viewers of the dead. The women were the widows Kyrine and Phyltnes for which they were to be paid 3d a month."