Shrivenham in 1738

A snapshot of a year in the history of Shrivenham in the 18th century. The year is 1738 -1739. The information comes from the accounts of the Overseers for the relief of the poor.

 

All houses in the parish were rated according to what that house might earn in rent for one year. That would then be assigned as a rental value for taxable purposes. Commercial property could also be valued according to what stock was being held in a workshop or retail premises. 

 

To help those people in the parish who might be in need, Overseers of the Poor were appointed. There were usually two, one being the actual Overseer and another acting as sidesman or deputy, who would be in an ideal position to take over at the end of the year. But that was ratified by an election at the local Vestry meeting. Vestry meetings were sometimes public with all parishioners able to attend and sometimes it was just kept to the Vicar, Churchwardens and Overseers. 

 

Those attending the vestry meeting would decide what rate to levy on the parishioners after listening to the advice from the Overseers. An amount would then be set at, pence in the pound. For instance, if a rate was set at 3 pence in the pound, and the rateable value of the house was £10, then that occupier would be asked to pay 30 pence which equated to 2 shillings and 6 pence, usually abbreviated to 2/6. For the rest of the money in the old English system, we can use the following abbreviations: £1 = One Pound. 17/2 = 17 shillings and two pence. 15/- = 15 shillings. 6d = Sixpence.

 

It may be as well to note here that during this period of the 18th century, the year was calculated using the Julian calendar, making March 25th the beginning of the new year. This was changed in September 1752 to the Gregorian calendar and is as we know it today.

 

To see the collection of 1738/9 in Pdf format please go HERE

 

 

Vestry Overseers Churchwardens