I'm cross posting to both lists as this little gem of information, posted by Eve McLaguhlin on the Usenet News genealogy forum is I think of interest. (It was news to me at least!!) I have had great difficulty with my HULBERTs in Biddestone because the baptism records are a shambles for the period from about 1780 to 1800. There are very few meaningful records for this period which means I have had trouble sorting out a whole flock of William and James baptisms, which makes identifying the "missing links" for this generation very difficult However - a tax on baptisms as suggested below may explain a lot. Can anyone with images explain what happened to the Hawkesbury baptisms in this period? This is where the one HULBERT I can trace (thanks to my gran keeping a marriage certificate!) ended up in 1819 .... <start quote> (from soc.genealogy.britain) >Whilst at Hampshire Record Office today, I came across the following entry >in the Baptism Register for Boldre. > >1783 >On subsequent baptisms (3> >new tax takes place. > >In the Register note the bracket symbol was joined to the bottom of the >figure 3. Does this denote a tax of three farthings, It was a national tax of 3d, imposed on all baptisms entered in the parish register. The clergy resented being used as tax collectors, and having to account to the excise man from time to time. There was an exemption for paupers, and the clergy tended to use this as a get out 'exempting' everyone who didn't actually pay Land tax. Result, cvast numbers of 'P' marked entries, which didn;['t mean 90% of the parish had suddenly gone on the parish overseers'/ <end quote>

Hi All I've had a look at the PRs for Hawkesbury, Didmarton & Oldbury on the Hill. There was no sign of a P by any of the baptisms during the period 1783 - 1800, although I have seen a P at other times. There are some interesting entries in the Oldbury Register which appear to be on a printed form with manuscript additions: 14th February 1792 Received of the Revd Mr DEERE the Sum of three shillings and six pence for one year's duty on burials, christenings and marriages, due to the 1st October last from the parish of Oldbury on the Hill, Gloucester for the period of two years. £0.3s.6d signed ?H. WALLIS William PITT, Collector There is a similar manuscript entry dated January 1795 again for 3s 6d, which is split between Didmarton £0-2s-3d and Oldbury on the Hill £0-1s-3d. Cheers Carole -----Original Message----- From: Marilyn Moffat [mailto:marilyn@moffat-mk.co.uk] Sent: 17 May 2005 13:15 To: ENG-GLO-HAWKESBURY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [HWK] Baptisms After 1783 I'm cross posting to both lists as this little gem of information, posted by Eve McLaguhlin on the Usenet News genealogy forum is I think of interest. (It was news to me at least!!) I have had great difficulty with my HULBERTs in Biddestone because the baptism records are a shambles for the period from about 1780 to 1800. There are very few meaningful records for this period which means I have had trouble sorting out a whole flock of William and James baptisms, which makes identifying the "missing links" for this generation very difficult However - a tax on baptisms as suggested below may explain a lot. Can anyone with images explain what happened to the Hawkesbury baptisms in this period? This is where the one HULBERT I can trace (thanks to my gran keeping a marriage certificate!) ended up in 1819 .... <start quote> (from soc.genealogy.britain) >Whilst at Hampshire Record Office today, I came across the following entry >in the Baptism Register for Boldre. > >1783 >On subsequent baptisms (3> >new tax takes place. > >In the Register note the bracket symbol was joined to the bottom of the >figure 3. Does this denote a tax of three farthings, It was a national tax of 3d, imposed on all baptisms entered in the parish register. The clergy resented being used as tax collectors, and having to account to the excise man from time to time. There was an exemption for paupers, and the clergy tended to use this as a get out 'exempting' everyone who didn't actually pay Land tax. Result, cvast numbers of 'P' marked entries, which didn;['t mean 90% of the parish had suddenly gone on the parish overseers'/ <end quote> ==== ENG-GLO-HAWKESBURY Mailing List ==== Visit Robert Millard's local and family history web pages at http://www.hawkesburyhistory.co.uk. ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 13/05/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 13/05/2005