Duston’s Surnames

Pre- enclosure parish of Duston including St.James’ End and Gravestones in St.Luke’s Churchyard Northampton

 A comparison of the 17th and 18th Century gravestones against the 1674 Hearth Tax returns and the Lord of the Manor’s tenants recorded on the estate map of 1722.

The clergy have been omitted from this analysis 

Apart from those listed below, headstones give at least 9 other dates within the period, but the names are illegible. There are a further 60 completely illegible due to the use of local stone that has poor wearing qualities, many probably for the period under review.

Aish John died 6/3/1700 aged 74 Grave 106

Caruthers Richard died 26/00/1690 age N/K Grave 348

Chambers Richard died 19/10/1700 aged 71 Grave 569

Hall John died 21/?/1730  aged 49 Grave 531

Husband of Ann Hall previously widow of James Arlbury

Harris Elizabeth died 7/11/1694 aged 16 Grave 536

Daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Harris

Harris Henry died 21/1/1673 aged52 Grave 529

Husband of Sarah Harris 

Harris Sarah died 7/1/1685 age N/K Grave528

Widow of Henry Harris Senior

Haunch John died 8/4/1669 age N/K Grave 519

Husband of Ann Haunch

Lucas N/K died 1694 aged 48 Grave 213

Wife of William Lucas

Newcombe Alice died -/7/1752 Age N/K Grave 109

Wife of Thomas Newcombe

Palmer Thomas died 9/3/1748 aged 2 Grave 331

Son of the Honourable Palmer and Elizabeth

Palmer N/K died 1766 age N/K Grave 336

Spencer Robert died 26/2/1749 aged 42 Grave 347

Stanton Ann died 6(?)/11/1687 aged 52 Grave 209

Wife of Samuel Stanton

Stanton Mary died 6/2/1683 aged 29 Grave 578

Wife of Richard Stanton

Stanton Samuel died 21/1/1683 aged 56 Grave 208

Husband of Ann Stanton

Vaughan William died 1/11/1677 age 63 Grave 712

Gentleman

 

HEARTH TAX DUSTON 1674

Introduced in 1663 by Statute 13 and 14 of King Charles II on all who lived in houses other than colleges. In the Public Records Office there are hearth tax records dating from 1660to 1689 the date of cessation.

Tax was2/- per year per hearth from all residents who paid towards the parish “church and poor” There were 80 taxable hearths in Duston raising 160/- per year tax.

  From a handwritten transcript of hearth taxpayers available at Northants Record Office, which is not in alphabetical order.

The opportunity has therefore been taken to start this section with 9 surnames that may relate to the memorial record.

Hearth Tax records presumably ignore nationalities, religious denominations or political persuasion so may contain information not found in church records

Surnames in a few cases,  probables and is Aish a misreading for Ash? 

John Aish, Richard Chambers, Thomas Hall, Henry Harris, John Harris, Mary Harris, William Palmer, Samuel Spencer, Samuel Stanton.

The rest are as follows

Sara Barnes, John Basely, Nathaniel Basely, Andrew Baxter, Richard Carrill, Thomas Carrill, Mr John Coles, Sara Collis, Robert Cosby, Joane Cranborow, John Dasset, Mr Ere, Owen fflecknoe William fflecknoe, Elizabeth Gasket, Mr Samuel Goffe, John Hanny, John Harrison, Thomas Hiller, Edward Laundon, John Linnell, Henry Marritt, Samuel Mason, Thomas Meir, John Mutton, Sara Mutton, William Mutton, Mr Joseph Parker, Obadiah Robins, Samuel Rowe, John Shephard, Widow Silsby, John Tarry, Richard Tyms, Margery Walker, John Wattch(?), John Whiteing, John Willis, Agnes Willey,

 
So in 1674, of the 48 taxpayers listed, we have 9 women householders paying the tax, only one being termed “widow”, and 4 entitled “Mr.”

Samuel Stanton is listed twice, which could be an error, father and son, or a resident with two properties.

There follows a comparison with the names recorded by the Lord of the Manor of Duston in 1722, the Right Honourable Thomas Cook Esq. Vice-Chamberlain of his Majesty’s household (King George 1)

There are 38 residents listed, presumably all tenants of this landlord.

On the manorial map, about 20 unlisted village properties are also shown presumably belonging to other residents. There are also spelling differences that suggest the compiler may have recorded information phonetically in this list, e.g. Surname “Cook for Coke” plus the differences in surname spelling generally and fieldname “Berry for Bury”

 

DUSTON RESIDENTS 1722

From the Manorial Map produced by Malcolm Deacon, David Foster and Stephen Garratt in 1990.


The term “Duston residents” applies in this case to the old village only. Other names of residents of mills, the small settlement close to Westbridge and other scattered dwellings are not recorded on this map.

The most likely names common to the other records have been placed at the top, as in the hearth tax record, to make comparison simpler.

“m” from Memorial List, names in brackets appear on the hearth tax list.

 John Carvill, previously Kilsby, Thomas Carvill, (Carrill?)

Anne Grandborow, Widow Grandborow, (Cranborow?)

 Samuel Hilliers, (Hiller?) William Lucas (m), Henry Marriot, (Marritt?) Palmer’s Corner (William Palmer)+ (m)+(field name)

Stephen Pasely, (Basely?) Widow Shepard (Shephard?)

William Spencer (m), Benjamin Willis, Widow Willis. (? Willy, Wilby?)

The Rest

Thomas Althorp, Francis Baulecoate, Widow Bell, Richard Blewitt, Richard Botterrell, Richard Burrows, Elim (?) Cranfield,

Samuel Gasgoine, previously Hills, John Glenn, Richard Holyoke, Mr Kent, Edward Kent, James Oliver, John Roberts, Thomas Smith

 
The three lists produced here provide interesting comparisons with each other in their varied content of surnames over a broadly similar period, with the spelling variations for what may be the same surname, and for the number of different surnames on the three lists for a small village population.

 

David Blackburn

Duston Northampton

2009