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From: "Helen Jones" <>
Subject: Tudor Subsidy Roll
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2000 13:39:10 -0000


Are you still having problems contacting via my private address, Diana? I'm
not aware of there being any problems with it at the moment.

Very briefly - lay subsidies were taxes which were levied from the
12th -17th centuries. The Tudor subsidy in question was the "Great Subsidy"
and was levied over 4 years from 1523, starting in January 1523/4. The tax
was levied on everyone aged 16 or over who recieved an income from land or
from taxable goods of at least £2 per year, or who earnt an annual wage of
£1 or more. They were taxed at 4d in the pound. (d = old pennies).
Taxpayers were listed by name.
Between 1520-1530, the average day wage for an agricultural labourer in
Southern England was 4.3d. Very roughly in 1520, one GB pound had the
purchasing power of £350 today, although its value seemed to drop and by
1530 it would have purchased goods worth roughly £280. These figures are
taken from the Bank of England, and although statistcally accurate, the
values are abstractions, not equivalents and can only be taken as a rough
guide. A good guide to the cost of living through the ages is "How Much Is
That Worth?" by Lionel Munby, published by Phillimore for the British
Association for Local History, 1996. ISBN 0-85033-741-0

Most of the surviving subsidy records are kept at the Public Record Office,
but the Dorset returns have been transcribed and indexed are are available
in a bound volume in the Catalogue Room at Dorset Record Office (along with
the 1332 lay subsidy roll, Tudor Muster Rolls, Protestation Returns 1641/2
and the Hearth Tax of 1662/4). They are not available on film or fiche.

Helen
Helen Jones at Weymouth, Dorset, UK
List Admin Dorset-L Scammell-L

http://www.melcombe.freeserve.co.uk/
----- Original Message -----
From: Diana Motyer <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 7:14 PM
Subject: Helen Jones


> HI Helen:
>
> What is the 1524 Tudor Subsidy Roll? > Diana
>
>
> ==== DORSET Mailing List ====
> The Dorset Look-up Exchange may be found at
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5973/dorset.htm
>
>

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