England, Middlesex, Westminster Rate Books - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains rate books from various parishes in Westminster City from 1634-1900. The rate books were an assessment of tax that was owed and are an excellent census substitute. They are arranged by street and usually contain the head of household, owner, street address, rate owed, and event date. This collection was originally filmed at the Westminster City Archives and the index was created by FindMyPast.com.

Record Content
Rate books may contain the following information:


 * Name of head of household
 * Owner
 * Street address
 * Event date

How to Use the Record
This section provides tips and information on how to search the collection. As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name, surname, and residence.

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the film number, which takes you to the images

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Use the place of residence to find local parish registers or census records.
 * Westminster is located in greater London. Try searching for records in this and other nearby localities.
 * Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur. Look at the original document to verify information.

Related Wiki Articles
England Taxation

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):