Scottish poll tax records from 1690s go online

The ScotlandsPlaces website (www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk) has added thousands of Scottish poll tax records online, as held within 88 registers at the National Records of Scotlnd. From the NRS news re3lease:

Poll taxes were imposed in 1694, 1695 and twice in 1698 in order to pay for the Scottish army and navy. Almost 1500 pages of tax records provide a snapshot of thousands of Scots from every walk of life, from cottars to dukes. They complement other historical tax records already available at ScotlandsPlaces in revealing life for ordinary people in late seventeenth century Scotland. From aristocrats to workmen, the Scottish poll tax rolls from the reign of William and Mary reveal an extraordinary range of people who were liable to pay the tax imposed to meet the cost of foreign wars and the defence of the kingdom. Searchable by parish, the tax rolls provide a valuable new resource for social and family history.

For details of the coverage visit ScotlandsPlasces dedicated Poll tax page at www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/news/poll-tax-1694-1698

(And before any local councils get excited, I think any arrears from this lot have long been written off...!)

Chris

Stuck for a Christmas gift?! I have a series of genealogy books available in the UK, Australia and Canada, on Scottish, Irish and British based subject areas. Further details at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. Santa approves!