They lived at Preston in the 17th Century
In this article, the known inhabitants of Preston during the seventeenth century are discussed. These
lived in the hamlet, walked its lanes and worked its fields - they are an essential part of Preston’s
heritage.
Although these folk are detached from today by the passage of up to four centuries, this is not
intended to be a superficial catalogue of names - a stark, ‘people-spotting’ exercise. Where possible,
occupations, location of homes and immediate families are described. As a result, these details
breathe life into the these folk - they become more tangible and ‘real’.
The researcher is ever hamstrung by the amount of information that is available - and as Preston was
not a parish in its own right, having a parish chest brimming with yellowed documents, this will
always be a handicap. However, there is a wealth of details to be probed. They include:
•
Manorial Court Baron records for (Temple) Dinsley 1640 - 1652
•
A survey of the manor of (Temple) Dinsley in 1664 and a summary of transactions from
then until 1808.
•
Manorial Court records of Maidencroft (Ippollitts) from 1697 and Missenden (Minsden)
from 1700 that contain retrospective information.
•
Sundry indentures and other legal documents.
•
Sundry wills by Preston people.
•
A transcription of the parish registers of Minsden 1609 - 1642: with some gaps
•
The parish registers of Hitchin. These are mostly legible and helpfully note beside
baptisms, marriages and burials that the subjects were ‘of Preston’.
•
The parish registers of Ippollitts.
•
Various Heath Tax returns for Preston.
•
A listing of Preston villagers prosecuted in 1688 for failing to pay Church Rate to St
Mary, Hitchin.
A fan of original documents from the seventeenth century that relate to Preston: l to r (Temple)
Dinsley Manorial Court Roll of 1640; villagers prosecuted in 1688 for failing to pay St Mary,
Hitchin Church Rate; Hearth Tax - exemptions in 1670. Lower centre - the burial of John, son of
Daniel Joyner of Preston on 26 April 1697
Minsden Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1609 - 1642 and churchwardens
The inhabitants of Preston and Langley, together with folk from farther afield, worshipped at Minsden.
People who probably lived in Preston (based on confirmed information) are shown in blue.
St Mary’s, Hitchin - Baptisms, Marriages and Burials of Preston people 1679 - 1699
The Hitchin register ‘through the carelessness and neglect of the former Registrar is wholly lost for the
space of seventeen years’ from February 1648 to August 1665. As a result, it is impossible to produce a
pedigree of many Preston folk before 1665. The following are noted in the St Mary register as being ‘of
Preston’:
Note: With a population of more than one hundred at Preston in the seventeenth century, it’s clear that the
entries listed above are not the only Preston folk to have been born, married or buried. Others may be
included in the St Mary registers and not noted as being ‘of Preston’ and still more may have been noted in
the records of Minsden, Ippollitts, Kings Walden and St Paul’s Walden.
The Hearth Tax and Preston
The hearth tax was introduced in 1662 and was the government’s major source of revenue of the
time. Each hearth in a home was taxed at two shillings a year which was payable in two instalments.
People too poor to be rated for church or poor rates were exempt.
Where Hearth Tax records survive, there is a listing of all the households in a district together with a
rough indication of their prosperity, that is, the number of hearths they had and whether or not they
were taxed. Sociologists have concluded that the population of a town or village can be calculated by
multiplying the population by a factor of around 4.3. So, on the basis that there were around 27
houses in Preston at this time (see below), the population of the village was approximately 120.
There are two listings villagers for Hearth Tax purposes that I will include. The first list is dated 18
May 1663 and includes those liable for Hearth Tax with a note of the number of hearths.
The second list is dated 27 June 1670 and is of those who were exempted from the tax on the
grounds of ‘poverty and slenderness of estate’. The majority of these would have related to the
homes of labourers and widows of labourers.
SADLEIR,Sir Edwin - 10
FOSTER, John - 5
GODFREY, John - 3
RICHES, John - 2
BIGGE, John - 2
BROWNE, Thomas - 2
KINGE, Edward - 1
SIMSON, widow - 1
TALER, John -1
DAVEY, widow
CREASEY, Ann
BROWNE, widow
BOWSTREAD, Andrew
SMITH, William
CLEMENCE, David
ANDREW, widow
CRAWLEY, Thomas
BROWNE, Robert
REASON, Mary
SIMSON, widow
MARTIN, Judeth
WHEELER, Will(iam)
CARRINGTON, John
BRIDGES, James
DRIVER, Tho(mas)
BOWSTRED, John
GOUTRIDGE, widow
OAKLEY, Tho(mas)
BIGG, John
The final list is dated 17 March 1674 and shows occupiers of houses and numbers of houses.
DRIVER, Thomas
CRESSEY, Ann
DAVEY, Susan
BIGG, John
CLEMENTS, David
ANDREWS, Katherine
CRAWLEY, Thomas
RAYMENT, Widow
BROWNE, Widow
REASON, Mary
DEARMER, Richard
MARTIN, Judith
WHEELER, William
BRIDGES, James
CARRINGTON, John
OAKLEY, Thomas
BOWSTRED, John
SMITH, Widow
GOOTHERIDGE
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Preston villagers prosecuted re: payment of church rates to St Mary’s, Hitchin
This issue in 1688 is described in another article - see link: Minsden controversy
SLATER, Jane Elizabeth
NORTH, widow
FOSTER, John
GODFREY, John
GODFREY, Jeremy
KING, Leonard
HEATH, John Heath
HEATH, Richard
COOPER, Robert
RICHES, Widow
GOTTERIDGE, John
FARR, John
