Trunch - Parish Records
Manorial Records
A commentary on the Manorial records from the Middle Ages, with a few examples can be found by clicking here Manorial records
Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials
Many of the parish records for Trunch from 1558 are now freely available on freereg2.freereg.org.uk. I have also transcribed most of the Parish Records.
Some of the Rectors recorded birth dates as well as baptism dates and some recorded fathers' occupations and the ages of those buried but others did not. Similarly there is a wide variation in their handwriting and spelling but compared to some other parishes the Trunch records are quite good, although there are some gaps and spoilt pages.
There are some familiar surnames in the early records - Mason, Howse, Taylor, Woorts and Prymerose but also a family called Google. In the 1600s there were a few Dutch sounding Christian names - Johannes and Gulielimus and it may be that some textile workers from the Continent settled in Trunch. Bane/Baun is also thought to be a possible Huguenot surname. All through these early records there is a wide variety of spellings of what are clearly the same name.
To see spread sheets of my records so far click here Trunch records before 1725
and Trunch records 1725-1799 and Trunch records after 1800
Other parish records are the subsidy and hearth tax lists below and the poll and electoral registers
Some of the Rectors recorded birth dates as well as baptism dates and some recorded fathers' occupations and the ages of those buried but others did not. Similarly there is a wide variation in their handwriting and spelling but compared to some other parishes the Trunch records are quite good, although there are some gaps and spoilt pages.
There are some familiar surnames in the early records - Mason, Howse, Taylor, Woorts and Prymerose but also a family called Google. In the 1600s there were a few Dutch sounding Christian names - Johannes and Gulielimus and it may be that some textile workers from the Continent settled in Trunch. Bane/Baun is also thought to be a possible Huguenot surname. All through these early records there is a wide variety of spellings of what are clearly the same name.
To see spread sheets of my records so far click here Trunch records before 1725
and Trunch records 1725-1799 and Trunch records after 1800
Other parish records are the subsidy and hearth tax lists below and the poll and electoral registers
Subsidy taxes
These were taxes on the wealthiest citizens based on the value of movable goods or income from land whichever was the greater. Some of the earlier ones, before parish records were kept, are useful for giving names of residents.
In 1327 some of the names were - Alen, West, Danne, Godefroy, Clement, Thomas atte Market, Adan atte Hill and Smithe. In 1332 there was also Estyng and Wynter. By 1523 some of the familiar Trunch families appear in the records - Bolt, Worts, Wodehouse, Brownyng, Mason, Howes, Prymrs, and Wurts. The complete list for 1597 is given below. Click here for all of my subsidy tax lists.
1597 Subsidy tax list
WOORTES, John, 6 Pd - Land, 24s,
BROWNING, Robert, 50s - Land, 10s,
THROWLE, Willm, 20s - Land, 4s,
WHITHER, Nicholas, 20s - Land, 4s,
WOORTES, Thomas, 6 Pd - Land, 24s,
FLIGHT, Robert, 4 Pd - Land, 16s,
HOWSE, John, 20s - Land, 4s,
BROWNINGE, Willm, 20s - Land, 4s,
BATES, Christopher, 40s - Land, 8s,
BRADFEILDE, Faith, 3 Pd - Land, 12s,
WOORTES, Bartram, 10 Pd - Goods, 26s 8d,
WOORTES, Richard, 10 Pd - Goods, 26s 8d,
MASON, Alice, 4 pd - Goods, 10s 8d, widow
HOWSE, Thomas, 3 Pd - Goods, 8s,
PRIMEROSE, John, 3 Pd - Goods, 8s,
CLAXTON, Thomas, 3 Pd - Goods, 8s,
In 1327 some of the names were - Alen, West, Danne, Godefroy, Clement, Thomas atte Market, Adan atte Hill and Smithe. In 1332 there was also Estyng and Wynter. By 1523 some of the familiar Trunch families appear in the records - Bolt, Worts, Wodehouse, Brownyng, Mason, Howes, Prymrs, and Wurts. The complete list for 1597 is given below. Click here for all of my subsidy tax lists.
1597 Subsidy tax list
WOORTES, John, 6 Pd - Land, 24s,
BROWNING, Robert, 50s - Land, 10s,
THROWLE, Willm, 20s - Land, 4s,
WHITHER, Nicholas, 20s - Land, 4s,
WOORTES, Thomas, 6 Pd - Land, 24s,
FLIGHT, Robert, 4 Pd - Land, 16s,
HOWSE, John, 20s - Land, 4s,
BROWNINGE, Willm, 20s - Land, 4s,
BATES, Christopher, 40s - Land, 8s,
BRADFEILDE, Faith, 3 Pd - Land, 12s,
WOORTES, Bartram, 10 Pd - Goods, 26s 8d,
WOORTES, Richard, 10 Pd - Goods, 26s 8d,
MASON, Alice, 4 pd - Goods, 10s 8d, widow
HOWSE, Thomas, 3 Pd - Goods, 8s,
PRIMEROSE, John, 3 Pd - Goods, 8s,
CLAXTON, Thomas, 3 Pd - Goods, 8s,
Hearth taxes
These were a way of obtaining revenue to make up a shortfall in the Crown's revenue and they were used between 1662 and 1689. They were paid by the occupier of the house and if a leaseholder was absent the landlord paid it. A tax of a shilling per hearth was payable twice a year.
There were exemptions -: paupers, people living in a house worth under 20s a year, charitable institutions with an annual income under 100 pounds a year and industrial hearths like kilns and furnaces but blacksmiths and bakers do not seem to have been exempt.
People in Trunch who paid in 1664
Robt THEXTON clerk
Mr WORTS
Robt FLIGHT
Robt HARMER
Clippesby BERRY
Richard OLIVER
Edw HUGGIN
John COOPER
Willm FARY
Tho WORTH
Tho HARWOOD
Willm FAIREFAX
Tho HEWSE
John TAYLOR
Tho GRIMES
Edmund CLAYDEN
Tho PRIMROSE
John HARPER
Edward PIGHTLIN
Andrew SHARPE
John GUGLE
Willm PEAREMAN
Robt BOND
George JARVIS
John HIPER
Stephen DURRANT
Tho GOULDINGE
Willm BETTS
Willm PLATTINGE
Thomas WITHERS
Willm MASON
Willm WARNER
Click here for poll and electoral registers