Lay Subsidy Roll 1332-33 - A List of Wickhamford Residents
The Lay Subsidy Rolls were records of taxation in England between the 12th and 17th centuries. They contain the names of the prosperous inhabitants and that for Worcestershire has survived for many villages including Wykwane, the old name for Wickhamford.
Twenty names are on the Wickhamford list, but a couple are incomplete due to damage to the original skin on which they were written. After this date the next records identifying individuals do not exist until the Elizabethan era, when compulsory Parish Registers were started. The first entries in those for Wickhamford start in 1538, just over two hundred years after the Subsidy Roll of 1332-33.
Interestingly, none of the family names on the Subsidy Roll appear in the Parish Registers, so major change in resident’s families took place over the 200-year gap in the records. Even so, most of the names still occur in the general vicinity.
The names of those on the Subsidy Roll are given below, together with an approximation of the modern equivalent of the name.
- Johanne de Welle (John Wells)
- Margeria Hankok (Marjorie Hancock)
- Waltero Dulbr (Walter, but surname incomplete ?)
- Johanne Person (John Pearson)
- Roberto de Mekelton (Robert of Mickleton)
- Roberto Street (Robert Street)
- Johanne Pleywel (John Playwell)
- Willelmo le Priest (William the Priest)
- Ricardo Julian (Richard Julian)
- Adam atte Halle (Adam Hall)
- Amicia Usk (Amy? Usk)
- Johanne Elowy (?) (John, transcriber unsure of surname)
- Mauricio Heort (Maurice Hurt)
- Ricardo Beneth (Richard Bennett)
- Johanne le Rede (John Read)
- Rosa Perkyn (Rose Perkins)
- Rosa de Podeho (Rose ??????)
- Waltero Hankyn (Walter Hankin)
In addition, there are two Christian names where the surnames have been lost due to damage of the original skin, another Johanne (John) and another Willelmo (William).
It seems surprising that there were twenty residents of Wickhamford at that time considered prosperous enough to pay this Subsidy, or perhaps even those with a little money were caught in the process. Apart from the Manor building and a few farms, other residents would have lived in simple cottages. The Roll for Aldynton (Aldington) survives and twenty-four residents are included, but that for Badsey has been lost.
Tom Locke – February 2018