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HEARTH TAX

LADY DAY , MARCH 25^TH,1664.

THE BOROUGHS OF NONINGTON AND EASOLE WERE LISTED AS BEING TAXED. NONINGTON WAS ACTUALLY DIVIDED INTO FOUR BOROUGHS FOR TAXATION AND OTHER PURPOSES, THESE WERE KETTINGTON AND NONINGTON (OTHERWISE CALLED RATLING) IN WINGHAM HUNDRED ,AND EASOLE AND FROGHAM IN EASTRY HUNDRED. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT EITHER KETTINGTON WAS INCLUDED IN NONINGTON AND FROGHAM IN EASOLE OR THE TAX RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE FOR THESE TWO BOROUGHS. IN 1676 THE PARISH HAD 161 PERSONS OVER THE AGE OF 16, GIVING A PROBABLE POPULATION OF ABOUT 450 PEOPLE. HOLT STREET THEN CONSISTED OF ABOUT TEN HOUSES AND COTTAGES CENTRED AROUND THE PRESENT HOLT STREET FARM.

OF THE FORTY OR SO HOUSE-HOLDS LISTED FOR TAXATION, 77% HAD A SINGLE HEARTH, 60% SINGLE HEARTHS WERE EXEMPT FROM THE TAX, THE OCCUPIERS BEING CLASSED AS POOR. TO BE CLASSED AS POOR AND GAIN EXEMPTION A HOUSE HAD TO BE WORTH NO MORE THAN 20 SHILLINGS PER ANNUM ON THE FULL IMPROVED RENT. HOWEVER, IF THE OCCUPANT OF SUCH A HOUSE OWNED LAND OR TENEMENTS WORTH MORE THAN 20 TWENTY SHILLINGS PER ANNUM OR LAND, TENEMENTS OR GOODS WORTH MORE THAN £10.00 TOTAL, THEY WERE NOT EXEMPT. TWO HOUSES FORMED THE 5% OF HOUSE-HOLDS WITH 10 OR MORE HEARTHS.

HOUSE-HOLDS OF THE BOROUGH OF NONINGTON, LATHE OF ST. AUGUSTINE.

CHARGEABLE	^{NO. OF HEARTHS.}	NON-CHARGEABLE.	^{NO. OF HEARTHS.}
^{JOHN BOYS, ESQ., FREDVILLE. MAIN LAND HOLDER IN NONINGTON PARISH.}	¹⁸	^{? ROOK}	¹
^{NICH. CREAKE, YEOMAN FARMER, KITTINGTON.}	³	^{JEREMY BARTLETT}	¹
^{WM. BEANE.}	¹	^{HENRY MILLER}	¹
^{THOS. HENNEKER.}	¹	^{GEORGE BELSEY (BELSIE)}	¹
^{JEREMY GAYE, GENTLEMAN, HOLT STREET FARM.}	⁸	^{GEORGE TOMS}	¹
^{JN. PACKENDEN.}	¹	^{WIDOW BOYWIN}	¹
^{RICH. WILSON.}	¹	^{WIDOW HOLMES}	¹
^{THOS. HAYWARD.}	¹	^{THOS. PICKLE}	²
		^{ED. SYMMONS, TENANT OF COTTAGE ON HOLT ST.} FARM ESTATE.	¹
		^{JN. COSINS,}	¹
		^{THOS. OSBOURNE.}	¹
		^{ANTH. PACKDEN}	¹
		^{ROBERT BAYLEY}	¹
		^{WIDOW DALE}	¹
		^{GOODMAN HOBDAY}	¹

^{EASOLE BOROUGH}

CHARGEABLE	^{NO. OF HEARTHS}	NON-CHARGEABLE.	^{NO. OF} HEARTHS.
^{JAMES NASH. ST. ALBAN’S COURT ?}	¹³	^{COLEMAN SAFFREY}	¹
^{ROBERT RYE}	¹	^{RICHARD FILLER}	¹
^{ED. RUMMELL}	²	^{WM. BEECH}	¹
^{MATHEW COOPER}	¹	^{WIDOW BAYLE}	¹
^{THOS. ROGERS}	²	^{WIDOW CLARINGBOULD}	¹
^{THOS. HARRISON}	²	^{JOHN BIST}	¹
^{THOS DUNNING}	²	^{JOHN FENNELL}	¹
^{WM KNOTT}	¹	^{WIDOW HUBBARD}	¹
		^{WM. FAGG, TENANT OF HOLT ST. FARM ESTATE.}	¹

NONINGTON WAS ON THE CHALK DOWNS, NOT A PARTICULARLY WEALTHY AREA OF EAST KENT COMPARED WITH AREA CLOSE-BY SUCH AS ASH WHICH LAY ON THE FLAT, FERTILE LOWLANDS. BETWEEN 1665 AND 1685 THE AVERAGE VALUE OF A WILL (FROM 14 WILLS) WAS £ 25.00 COMPARED WITH £ 117.00 FOR THE SAME PERIOD FOR ASH.

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