Shaftesbury, Knot/Knott family

[Linda K. in CT]

The furthest back I have been able to go with the KNOT/KNOTT family is with William KNOT marrying Mary BENNETT in Shaftesbury on 16-APR-1680. William died 7-May-1710 and Mary died 12-Dec-1730.
William and Mary had the following children: Charles 1682, John 1687, Joseph 1690, Mary 1693, James 1695.

I would be interested in hearing any information on any of these people or people related to them. The name KNOT is shown spelled many ways even within one document listing an entire family. NOTT/KNOT/KNOTT

Linda K. in CT

[VivP]

Linda

In the Dorset Hearth Tax Assessments 1662-1664 there are two KNOTTs in Stockland Tithing:

Thomas, with three hearths
William, with three hearths

regards

Viv
looking for Wiliam LANE, last seen in Holnest, Dorset 1729

[Linda K. in CT]

Thank you. What is a hearth assessment? I associate a hearth with a fireplace. Did they assess the property by the number of fireplaces?

[VivP]

Yes, they did :)

The Hearth Tax was a method for Charles II to raise money from the people! Plus ca change ...

The Assessments are just that, to see what the tax might raise. When it was eventually collected, it was disastrous, because the people hated it, and the amount raised was much less than the Exchequer had thought. There were riots!

The tax was 1 shilling for each hearth, payable at Michaelmas (Sept 29th) and Lady Day (Mar 25th). The occupier, rather than the owner, paid it. People assessed to pay were those whose goods and earnings were worth more than 10 GBP p.a., or whose houses were worth more than 1 GBP per year.

It's reckoned that at least a third of the households in England were assessed as being exempt. Paupers, and those with no hearth, didn't pay. As usual, certain people cheated and didn't pay. For example, you'd be surprised how many people's hearths had 'fallen down'!

I can't find Stockland on our modern atlas, but it was somewhere near Bridport. This may seem a long way from Shaston (Shaftesbury), but the well-off were for ever travelling about the country.

HTH

Viv
England
looking for William LANE, last seen in Holnest 1729

[Linda K. in CT]

Thank you for replying and giving such a good answer to my tax questions. My Knot family were shoemakers, so I'm not sure what their status would have been in Shaftesbury. I do know that Thomas was some sort of layperson for their church. When they came to the U.S. they continued to make shoes and did quite well.

[VivP]

Linda

Stockland was in the very west of Dorset - the part which was continually changing from Devon to Dorset!

Shoemaking was a trade that was learnt, and so it had considerably more status than, say an agricultural labourer.

The Hearth Tax Asessments only give the bare details I've sent to you. They don't include relationships, or anything else, so are best used as confirmation only.

Hope it's going well :)

Viv

[John C Bennett]

The Bennetts of St. James Parish, Shaftesbury, were tanners since 1539; but by 1658 there were several branches, and we can be certain only that the top line of the family were still tanners at that date. The family was probably descended from Bennett of Pythouse, Tisbury, Wiltshire--landowners and agents of Crown and Church in south Wiltshire since 1225. It makes sense a St. James Bennett would marry the daughter of the shoemaker, who would certainly have crafted boots of tannery leather. There are a few options for her possible parents: Thomas Bennett (Tanner) and Joane?, Robert Bennett Sr. (a tanner?) and Mary?, Anthony Bennett (occupation unknown) and Elizabeth, or John Bennett and Unknown
I hope this information is useful to you. John Bennett

[John C Bennett]

I have done further research on the Bennet tanners of Shaftesbury St. James. It is believed they stemmed from the Bennetts of Pythouse before 1540. My ancestors moved from Shaftesbury St. James to Fontmell Magna circa 1680 to work at the Fulling Mill at Springhead (Estmill). Their descendants came back to Shaftesbury as tanners in the mid-18th century. These were the ancestors of Charles James Fox Bennett, Premier of Newfoundland.