Looking at the hearth taxes, the Rant family who were in Suffolk were obviously wealthy judging by the amount of hearths on which they were being tax. Only the records for two of this family survive for the taxes - one in 1666 and the other in 1674. This suggests that the family had not been in Suffolk long and may have moved there. Wealthy families tended to be more mobile in that they often bought on inherited land some distance away from their family roots. In one case, the Rant tax payer was the living in the largest house (more precisely, the home in which one person was paying tax on the most hearths). This particularly house can then be traced through three further hearth taxes and the particular house had been lived in earlier by Mallet and Edwards family. So it would be interesting to see if there is a relationship with either of these families and the home had come into the family by either marriage or inheritance. In the other record, the taxpayer is living in a larger town, which makes identifying what happened more difficult. The taxpayer only appears in the 1664 list. But looking at the two 1663 lists extant for Michaelmas & Ladyday, only few of the tax payers have been listed for the tax, which may explain the earlier absence. However the records for 1666 are good, legible and for a very long list of taxpayers. So one ends up wondering whether the plague claimed his life or if there was a rearrangement of his property portfolio or his tax affairs. If you are interested in this further then have a look at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/suffolk/2007-08/1186937880 and then email me off list. Wishing you every success in your researches Giles Colchester, Researching COLCHESTER family, any spelling, any time, any place And PACKARD in Suffolk Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:53:00 +0100 (GMT Daylight Time) From: "David Cullingford" <[email protected]> Subject: [SFK-UK] RANT family around Ipswich circa 1740 (and other periods) To: <[email protected]> This is a crossover from my Norfolk research and I was wondering if there were any researchers on this list who have an interest in this family? Humphrey Rant, barrister, born 1708 in Bunwell, Norfolk, Died 1779 in Marlingford, Nfk. Married to Mary Life, daughter of Nathaniel Life, died 1781 in Marlingford. Humphrey was practicing in Ipswich, well that is what the records seem to infer? Children include: Meux William, born ? Died Ipswich 1769 Elizabeth, born 1734, Dickleburgh, Nfk, died 1739 in Ipswich Mary, born 1735, Dickleburgh, married Seymore Leeke. Susanna, born 1736, Dickleburgh William, born 1738, Dickleburgh. There may be more, just that I have not found them yet. I am also interested in any other Rant families from Suffolk from the 1700s and if you are aware of any, before this period? One person that eludes me at present is Roger Rant who was present around Ousden but I believe he was born in Norfolk. He was the father of Roger Rant, born circa 1600 and also went on to practice law, ending up residing at Swaffham Prior in Cambridgeshire. I have a lot of information on the family from Norfolk and some from Suffolk (Mendham, South Elmham St Margaret) If you are looking at this family, please let me know? Regards David