Hearth tax (1664)

Post date: Jul 17, 2012 7:0:40 PM

The above shows the Hearth Tax return for Wateringbury in 1664. The Hearth Tax was a tax levied twice yearly throughout the country from 1662 to 1689 based on the number of fireplaces in each dwelling. The head of each household who was liable to pay was listed and we can see that Wateringbury had 51 dwellings listed which might imply a population (using a standard multiplier of 4.25 people per household) of about 216 people (not an enormous increase over the 150 people guestimated at the Domesday Book in 1086). However shortly afterwards the Compton census provides a higher guestimate. 21 households (41%) were listed as exempt due to low incomes or other circumstances (compares to a national exempt average of 33%). Kent's total population at the time using the same estimating methodology would have been 140, 000.