Northamptonshire Hearth Tax, 1674

Discover your 17th century Northamptonshire ancestor through the Hearth Tax returns. Search the tax records of over 22,000 individuals across 300 parishes. They are a major source of information for family historians. You will find out where your ancestor was living and the number of hearths found within his/her home will give you a clue to the family’s wealth and status.

Each record includes a transcript of the original tax records. The transcripts can differ but most will include:

Names of the individual householders - sometimes with their status or title
Number of potentially chargeable hearths, fires and stoves and occasionally comments
Hundred and parish where the hearth was located
Whether the householder had a certificate of exemption from paying the tax

The history of the Hearth Tax

With a need to raise revenue after the English Civil War, the Interregnum and the restoration of Charles II as King, it was decided in 1662 to levy hearth money (or chimney money). This was a property tax on buildings worth more than 20 shillings a year in rent. The number of hearths, fires and stoves there were in a building determined the tax due. However there were some exemptions. For instance, people who received poor relief did not have to pay hearth tax. Some industrial buildings were exempt but not forges, locksmiths or bakers’ ovens.

The tax, which was collected twice yearly –on Lady Day and Michaelmas Day – was 2 shillings per hearth per year. It was a very unpopular tax because the tax commissioners had for the first time the right to come into the home in order to count the hearths. Attempts to avoid paying by blocking up a chimney could, if discovered, be rewarded with a doubling of the tax.

The tax was collected according to the administrative units of the time, namely counties, hundreds, parishes and townships; the last of these usually included only part of a parish. In the cities, towns and boroughs, collection was often recorded by wards whose boundaries did not necessarily follow those of the parishes.

The Hearth Tax was repealed in 1689 at the beginning of William and Mary’s reign.

Locating the original documents

The Northamptonshire Hearth Tax records have been abstracted and indexed by Francis Howcutt.

Where are the originals held?

The original Hearth Tax returns are held at The National Archives, Kew (NA ref: E179/254/14). Full details (including costs) on obtaining a copy of the original document can be found at: The National Archives website

What information from the Index do I need to locate the original?

As well as the document reference, you should use the 'Column' code that appears in the Index. It has a 'number-letter-number' format that identifies the membrane, side of the membrane and column where the entry appears. Two examples are:

'08A1' means the entry is on Membrane 8; on its front (or recto) side; in the first column reading from left to right.
'29B2' means the entry is on Membrane 29; on its back (or verso) side; in the second column reading from left to right.

Parish List

To help with your family search we have included a full list of the parishes included in the Northamptonshire Hearth Tax records.

Parishes include
Abington	Desborough	Kingsthorpe	Southorpe
Abthorpe	Dingley	Kislingbury	Southwick
Adstone	Dodford	Lamport	Spratton
Alderton	Draughton	Lilbourne	Stamford Baron
Aldwinkle (both)	Duddington	Lilford & Wigsthorpe	Stanford
Apethorpe	Duston	Litchborough	Stanion
Arthingworth	Earls Barton	Little Addington	Stanwick
Ashby St Ledgers	East Carlton	Little Billing	Staverton
Ashley	East Farndon	Little Bowden	Stoke Albany
Ashton	East Haddon	Little Harrowden	Stoke Bruerne
Aston le Walls	Easton Maudit	Little Houghton	Stoke Doyle
Aynho	Easton Neston	Little Oakley	Stowe Nine Churches
Badby	Easton on the Hill	Loddington	Strixton
Bainton	Ecton	Long Buckby	Stuchbury
Barby	Edgcote	Lowick	Sudborough
Barnack	Elkington	Luddington	Sulby (extra parochial)
Barnwell All Saints	Etton	Lutton	Sulgrave
Barnwell St Andrew	Evenley	Maidford	Sutton
Barton Seagrave	Everdon	Maidwell	Sutton Bassett
Benefield	Eydon	Marholm	Syresham
Blakesley	Eye	Marston St Lawrence	Sywell
Blatherwycke	Farthinghoe	Marston Trussell	Tansor
Blisworth	Farthingstone	Maxey	Theddingworth, Leicestershire
Boddington	Fawsley	Mears Ashby	Thenford
Boughton	Faxton	Middleton Cheney	Thornby
Bozeat	Finedon	Milton	Thornhaugh
Brackley St James	Fineshade (extra parochial)	Moreton Pinkney	Thorpe Achurch
Brackley St Peter	Floore	Moulton	Thorpe Malsor
Bradden	Fotheringhay	Moulton Park (extra parochial)	Thorpe Mandeville
Brafield	Gayton	Naseby	Thrapston
Brampton Ash	Geddington	Nassington	Thurning, Huntingdonshire
Braunston	Glapthorn	Nether Heyford	Tiffield
Braybrooke	Glendon in Barefoot	Newbottle	Titchmarsh
Brigstock	Glinton	Newnham	Towcester
Brington	Grafton Regis	Newton	Twywell
Brixworth	Grafton Underwood	Newton Bromswold	Ufford
Brockhall	Great Addington	Northampton	UNIDENTIFIED
Broughton	Great Billing	Northborough	Upper Heyford
Bugbrooke	Great Doddington	Norton	Upton
Bulwick	Great Harrowden	Old	Wadenhoe
Burton Latimer	Great Houghton	Orlingbury	Wakerley
Byfield	Great Oakley	Orton	Walgrave
Canons Ashby	Greatworth	Oundle	Wansford
Castle Ashby	Greens Norton	Overstone	Wappenham
Castor	Grendon	Oxendon	Warkton
Catesby	Gretton	Passenham	Warkworth
Catworth, Huntingdonshire	Guilsborough	Paston	Warmington
Chalcombe	Hackleton	Pattishall	Watford
Charwelton	Hannington	Paulerspury	Weedon Beck
Chelveston & Caldecott	Hardingstone	Peakirk	Weedon Lois
Chipping Warden	Hardwick	Peterbourough	Weekley
Church Brampton	Hargrave	Piddington	Weldon
Clapton	Harlestone	Pilton	Welford
Clay Coton	Harpole	Pipewell	Wellingborough
Clipston	Harrington	Pitsford	Welton
Cogenhoe	Harringworth	Plumpton	Werrington
Cold Ashby	Hartwell	Polebrook	West Haddon
Cold Higham	Haselbech	Potterspury	Weston & Sutton
Collingtree	Hellidon	Preston Capes	Weston by Welland
Collyweston	Helmdon	Preston Deanery	Weston Favell
Corby	Helpston	Pytchley	Whilton
Cosgrove	Hemington	Quinton	Whiston
Cosgrove & Passenham	Heyford (both)	Radstone	Whitfield
Cotterstock	Higham Ferrers	Raunds	Whittlebury
Cottesbrooke	Hinton & Steane	Ravensthorpe	Wicken
Cottingham	Holcot	Ringstead	Wilbarston
Courteenhall	Holdenby	Roade	Wilby
Cranford St Andrew	Horton	Rockingham	Winwick
Cranford St John	Irchester	Rothersthorpe	Winwick, Huntingdonshire
Cransley	Irchester (indicated by order in list)	Rothwell	Wittering
Creaton	Irthlingborough	Rushden	Wollaston
Crick	Isham	Rushton	Woodford
Croughton	Islip	Scaldwell	Woodford cum Membris
Culworth	Kelmarsh	Shutlanger	Woodnewton
Dallington	Kettering	Sibbertoft	Wootton
Daventry	Kilsby	Silverstone	Yardley Hastings
Deene	Kings Cliffe	Slapton	Yarwell
Denford	Kings Sutton	Slipton	Yelvertoft
Denton

Full list of United Kingdom records

In this collection

The history of the Hearth Tax

Locating the original documents

Parish List