England, Cheshire, Land Tax Assessments - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The land tax assessments that are available from Cheshire range from 1778 to 1832.

Record Description
Most of the physical documents were handwritten, but there were also printed forms where assessors could fill in the blanks.

Record Content


Key genealogical facts found in most Cheshire Land Tax Assessments are:


 * Name of the place
 * The year for the tax assessment
 * Name of proprietors or landowners
 * Names of the occupiers or tenants
 * Sums assessed are arranged in pounds, shillings, and pennies.
 * In some cases, additional columns that keep track of additional taxes or sum redemptions in pounds, shillings, and pennies
 * Includes the name or names of the assessors
 * Includes the name or names of the collectors
 * Includes the names of those who approved the taxes

How to Use the Records
Use these records to find male ancestors (and some female, where no male head of house existed). The records will reveal where they lived and how much they paid in land tax from year to year. If they rented the land, then the landowner is also identified.

Record History
Land tax assessments began in 1692 and ended in 1963. Most of the surviving collection of land tax assessments range from 1780 to 1832. The tax was administered through the Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace. They were organized by county, hundred, and parish. From 1692 to 1831, Catholics were assessed a double portion. Coverage for this tax was aimed at the landowners and the tenants who rented from the landowners. That ranged from nobility to peasant.

Why the Record Was Created
The land tax assessments were used to keep track of who paid taxes from year to year. It also doubled as a voter registration from 1780 to 1832.

Record Reliability
If an ancestor is a landholder or a land renter, then he or she should be listed. The records are most reliable between 1780 and 1832 because they doubled as voting registration. Not all family members are listed, just the responsible person. After 1832, not all occupiers were listed.

Related Websites
United Kingdom - England: Societies and Resources

Related Wiki Articles

 * Cheshire
 * England
 * England Land and Property

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Genealogical Society of Utah. “England, Cheshire, Land Tax Assessments, 1778-1832,” Index based on the database from the Cheshire Record Office in England. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

This collection consists of 113 reels of FHL microfilm.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection
"England, Cheshire Land Tax Assessments, 1778-1832." database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org: accessed 9 March 2011), Thomas Mason, 1782; citing Cheshire Record Office, Tax Records, reference Macclesfield Hundred; Record Office, Chester, England.