Northamptonshire:
Free and voluntary contribution, 1546
E 179/156/238

Copyright Stephen Swailes.

Roll E 179/156/238 in The National Archives is a free and voluntary contribution dated 16th May 1546. The roll covers the western half of Northants and the county town only. For each place apart from Northampton usually only two or three names are listed along with, in many cases, a valuation and the levy. Various memoranda in the roll refer to it as a taxation.

One of the memoranda gives the levy on goods of value £15 or more as 2d in the pound and of 4d in the pound on lands, benefice and annuities.

This transcript was made possible through the work of the late Gren Hatton on local history in Northants.

Stephen Swailes
November 2023

The memoranda in the roll are as follows.

1) Memorandum that Rychard Wake esquire and Francis Morgan gent two of the commissioners appointed for the taxation of the contribution within the town of Northampton granted unto the kings majesty in the 38th year of his reign / Signified unto all men by these present that Anne Harryngton of the said towne was assessed in the west quarter of the said town at £3 in land, And was also expensed and assessed in one other quarter of the said towne by the name of [blank] Waren in land @ £3 and so double charged for as much as the said Anne Harryngton & [blank] Warren be but one person & known by the said names And in witness that the premises be true we have set our seals and subscribed our names.

(signed)
Francis Morgan
Rychard Wake

2) Start obscured

... esquire and Francis Morgan gent three of the commissioners appointed for the taxation of the contribution granted unto the king's majesty within the hundred of Cleyley in the county of Northampton in the 38th year of his most gracious reign Do signify unto all men by these present that Sir John Bussell clarke parson of Covesgrave within the said hundred of Clayley in the said county was the time of the said contribution granted unto the king's said majesty indented upon the statute of p___re and fines that time imprisoned in the Marshallsy in London and condemned upon the said statute whereby all the goods and chattels of the said parson were seized unto the use of the king's said majesty before the delivery of the estreats unto Robert Pargetor collector of the same contribution the hundred aforesaid by means whereof the said collector could not levy the said contribution And in witness that the premises be true we have set our seals and subscribed our names the 10th day of January in the 38th year of the reign of our said sovereign lord king Henry the viijth.

Signed
Richard Wake
John Bernard
Francis Morgan

3)
Start obscured

... & Willm Chauncy gent commissioners appointed for the taxation of the contribution lately given to the king's majesty of all his loving subjects of his (realm ____) spiritual as temporal and ... hundreds of Sutton, Warden, Norton & Towcester do us by division assigned wherein we assessed and taxed all p___ of spiritual persons which we thought to be within the compass and charge of our letters of instruction and for as much as diverse of the said spiritual persons where not p___ with us nor before us at the time of their assessment and taxation we therefore have taxed ___ of (them most) justly and accordingly to our forsaid instructions ...

The memo' goes on to mention "our collector Robt Pargitor", Sir Willm Marshall clerk vicar of Sulgrave, Sir Willm Reynolds, and Sir John Knyghtley priest of Byfyld for his parsonage.

4)
Start obscured

... according to the tenor of our instructions concerning the assessment of the contribution we have assessed Sir John Knyghtley parson for all his (promotions) here within the hundred of Fawesley where he dwells and as we be informed and as it appears __ the collectors look he is charged particularly as well within the hundred of Warden as (‘tosteter') so that it appears plainly unto us he is double charged and the party has diligently said unto us for redress there of which as we think is past our hands and in powers wherefore we ___ decided __ to see reformation accordingly and thus our lord ...

... the 17th day of January ...

Signed
Thomas Cave
Valentyne Knyghtley
Thomas Andrewes

5)
Appears before the listing for Fawsley hundred, start obscured.

... between Valentyne Knyghtley and Thomas Cave esquires commissioners of our said sovereign lord the king appointed and divided to the hundreds of Fawesley Gillesburgh and Newbottle Grove within the county of North' for the taxing levying and gathering of our contribution given to the king's majesty towards his highness' charges sustained in his wars by his loving subjects (inhabiting) within the aforesaid three hundreds as well spiritual and temporal that is to (sum) of every pound in lands benefice or annuities 4d And of every pound in goods from £15 upwards 2d of every pound to be paid monthly for the space of five months now next ensuing to be accounted from the first day of this present June of th__ part And Robt Pargyttur of Grettworth in the said county of Northampton gent high collector appointed by the aforesaid commissioners within the aforesaid three hundreds to levy & charge all and singular such sum and sums of money as be contained and specified in these (estreats) indented of the other party Witness that we the aforesaid commissioners by these (present) __ately charge and command you the aforesaid Robt Pargittur high collector immediately after the receipt hereof to de___ levy & gauge all and singular such sum and sums as are contained in these estreats And the same by you so levied and gauged to pay or cause to be paid to Sir Edmunde Peckham knight coffers of the king's majesty household ____ appointed for the said contribution to the use of our said sovereign lord the king before __ last day of this present June And further we charge you by these present to make like payment before the last day of every of the months of July August September and October next ensuing to the aforesaid Sir Edmonde Peckham to the use aforesaid as you will answer at your utmost peril / In witness whereof as well the aforesaid commissioners as the said collector to these presents interchangeably have put to their hands ___ at Fawesley the day and year first above written.

6)
Damaged and hard to read.
Mentions Sir Edmonde Peckham and Robert Pargiter, dated 16th June in the 38th year of Henry VIII.

7)
Northampton. Re estreats indented and made the 13th June 38 Henry VIII for the collection and payment of the contribution granted to the king by his loving subjects. Names Sir Willm ____yght Lord Parr of Horton, Richerd (Wake), John Barnard, Robert (Chauntrell) esquires and Fraunces Morgan gent commissioners appointed for the taxation of the town of Northampton also the hundreds of Spelhoe, Wymersley and Cleyley. Robert Pargyter of Greatworth gent high collector.