Early Records

These are a collection of Tudor and Stuart tax records, muster rolls etc, and give early glimpses of Vanstones in Devon. They are useful as a snapshot guide, but all the records are incomplete, so there could have been a lot more Vanstones around.

Lay Subsidies: Lay subsidies were taxes, in pre-income tax days, levied by the crown on land, goods and sometimes on wages, usually at a shilling or sixpence in the pound.  Subsidy rolls were lists of who owed what in each parish.
1524

1544

1581

Muster Roll 1569: Every man was obliged to bear arms to defend his country and muster rolls were held regularly to inspect men and weapons.  In 1569, with the threat from Spain growing, commissioners were appointed to draw up lists of the men available with their chosen specialities. Gentry were usually listed as light horse.  Others were either archers, pikemen, billmen (pikes and bills were both poll arms for using against cavalry), or harquebusiers.

TETCOTT Richard Fanston   LITTLE TORRINGTON George Vanston Thomas Fanston Harquebusier Harquebusier WINKLEIGH William Fanstone Harquebusier

An arquebus (harquebus) was a flintlock forerunner of the musket

1642 assessment. Assessments replaced lay subsidies. Counties were told how much they owed the crown in total, and were expected to distribute payments fairly among people with incomes worth £3 goods, £1 land or £10 wages. The 1642 assessment was to raise money for the King at the start of the civil war.

Protestation Returns 1641-2
An oath of allegiance to Charles I and the Protestant religion was demanded of all males over 18 in every parish. It was intended to identify Catholics, who refused to sign.

HEARTH TAX 1674. An annual payment of 2/- for every hearth, to be paid by the occupier.  Exemption was made for paupers (those not paying poor rates or with houses or land worth less than £1p.a. or goods less than £10)

Contributors to the Rebuilding of St.Paul's Cathedral 1678
The records for Petrockstow parish contains no names, but otherwise, only 2 Vanstones felt generous enough to contribute:

So if you ever visit St.Paul's in London, you can bask in the satisfying knowledge that Vanstones contributed sixpence to it.

Devon Freeholder's Book 1771
Tiverton: Francis Vanstone, scrivener

Tithe Apportionments, following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836.
The acreage is given in acres, rods and perches: 40 perches = 1 rod, 4 rods = 1 acre. Ah, those were the days.
It is evident that Vanstones were not major landowners or, with one or two exceptions, not major tenants either.

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