George and Agnes Grose

Contributed By: Carol Ann Smith 2 · 12 March 2015 · https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/14172905?pid=L6JY-NND

Source: "The Grose Family in Cornwall, 1538 - 2006" by W. J. Grose, pages 6-7 and 14-15

Formatting by Wesley Johnston 23 Aug 2017

George Grose (circa 1617-1692); third son of Nichollas and Jane

“There is an element of mystery about George Grose in that there appear to be no records of his baptism nor of his first marriage to Agnes (no surname given) in the Luxulyan Parish Registers, where one would expect to find them. However, his baptism is likely to have been circa 1617 and his marriage to Agnes is likely to have been in 1640.

“George and Agnes had 2 children, a daughter Jane and a son Nicholas but the baptism of their daughter doesn’t seem to be recorded. However, Jane would appear to have been born circa 1641 and married firstly William Udy circa 1671 by whom she had 4 children. Her husband, William Udy, died in 1684 and she then married John Wellington on 26th December 1685 in Luxulyan Parish Church.”

“In Nichollas’s will (1643), Jane was left “a to yeare ould heafer” and, apart from a few specific bequests, he left the rest of his goods and livings to be divided equally between his two sons George and Ambrose, who were made joint executors. Thus George was now well set up as a farmer in his own right.

“George was eligible to sign the Protestation of 1641, but, for whatever reason, he didn’t sign it at Lostwithiel in 1642. He must have been well aware of the implications of signing the declaration since his uncles Edward and Ambrose and his cousins John, Henry, Bennet (Benedict) and Thomas, all living nearby in Luxulyan, signed it and the matter would have been extensively discussed in the family. He could not read or write but this was no reason for not signing.

“In the Poll Tax of 1660, George was taxed with Agnes for 1/-, being a married couple with an income of less than pound 5 per annum, and daughter Jane was taxed for 1/-, being a single person over the age of 16. The Poll Tax Act was given the Royal Assent on 29th August 1660 and son Nicholas was nsot listed as being taxed, despite the fact that he was just over 16. He was baptized in November 1643 and clearly George declared him to be under 16 for the purpose of avoiding the tax! 1/- in the 1660s was approximately equivalent to pound 3.10s at 1997 prices.

“The Hearth Tax, assessed at Michaelmas 1664, shows George living in a modest cottage having one hearth and liable to pay a tax of 2/-.

“This was a time when attendance at Church was compulsory and non-attendance could attract a fine. Meetings of groups to pursue other forms of worship were prohibited and also attracted fines. Ambrose, George’s younger brother, had converted to the Quaker faith in 1660 and was thus regarded as acting contrary to the law. George was a Constable of Luxulyan Parish in 1671 and, on 1st November that year, a warrant came from Degory Polwhele, a Justice of the Peace, ordering the Constables of Luxulyan to exact a fine on Ambrose’s goods to the value of pound 10 with a fine of 5/- for the offense of attending a Quaker meeting. George went with the other officers of the Parish to Ambrose’s land and took 9 bullocks value pound 20. Pound 20 in the 1670s was approximately equivalent to pound 1,500 at 1997 prices.

“George was a property owner, going by the Luxulyan Parish Rate of 1682, and owned a tenement in Recoul (Trescoll) occupied by John Sarah for which the charge was 31/2d. George himself lived at Enivsath which was rated at 41/2d. Trescoll, Enisvath and Enis are in the northern part of Luxulyan Parish, all within a mile of each other.

“Agnes died and was buried on 28th August 1682 in Luxulyan Parish Churchyard. George was about 65 and missed a female companion with whom to share his life so he married Ann Hicks of Lanivet on 278th May 1684 in Lanivet Parish Church.

“George and Ann must have been comfortably off as he left in his will (1687) the sums of 10 schillings and 5 schillings for the poor of the parishes of Luxulyan and Lanivet.

“George died aged about 75 on 11th May 1692 and was buried in Luxulyan Parish Churchyard. He left a will (1687) for which Probate was granted on 16 May 1692 to the executrix, his wife Ann. In it he styled himself “yeoman” and left his son, Nicholas, and his daughter, Jane Wellington, one shilling each. He left his grandchildren Richard, Walter, Nicholas and Ann, the sons and daughter of his son Nicholas, ten shillings, each to be paid one year after his death. He left his grandchildren William Udy, John Udy, Nicholas Udy and Ann Udy, the sons and daughter of his daughter Jane’s first marriage, one shilling each. The rest of his goods, chattels, rents and credits he bequeathed to his wife Ann who died 6 years later and was buried in Luxulyan Parish Churchyard on 30th January 1698/99.

Appendices

Surveys

S 1.The Military Survey of 1522

“In 1522 Wolsey, Henry VIII’s chancellor, was badly in need of money to finance the war with France. A subsidy (tax) in 1514 failed to raise the expected amount and had to be repeated in 1515 and 1516. Another subsidy was planned and it is presumed that he did not think that satisfactory assessments would be made for it. He therefore ordered a new and extensive survey of the wealth of the country both spiritual and temporal, together with a military muster (register of men) which he gave out to be the reason for the survey i.e. that it was to determine which men were to be assessed for the provision of armour. In reality, he had determined to use it as the basis for an immediate loan and for a subsidy which was to follow.

S 2. The Subsidies of 1524, 1525 and 1543

“These were taxes approved by parliament and were levied on all males over the age of 16, as well as widows, for land producing an income of pound 1 per annum or more and for goods to the value of pound 1 or more. They were set at a low rate and so included the names of all the males in each parish.

S 3. The Muster Roll of 1569

“From the beginning of her reign in 1558, Queen Elizabeth held musters (registers) of able men in each county every four years and more frequently as the Spanish invasion threat grew. Their purpose was, firstly, to enable the government to see how many horse and foot men it could count on to defend the country and, secondly, to see that everyone had the proper armour and weapons according to the law. Many of the muster returns only contain totals but, in compiling the 1569 return, the commissioners were instructed to include the names and places of residence of those taking part, together with their armour and weapons.

S 4. The Protestation Returns of 1641

“In 1641 Parliamaent organized a national protest against “an arbitrary and tyrannical government” which was aimed at Charles I. Every man in the country aged 18 or over was required to sign a declaration of belief in the true Protestant Religion, allegiance to the King, the liberties and rights of subjects and support for the rights and privileges of Parliament. In Cornwall, signing took place in February 1641 at Lostwithiel before the Sheriff and 11 Justices of the Peace.

S 5. The Poll Tax of 1660

“Poll taxes were imposed in 1660, 1667 and 1678. They consisted of 3 parts, firstly, a graduated tax on rank or profession. For example, a duke would pay pound 100, a knight pound 20 and an attorney at law pound 3. Secondly, a tax on annual income in excess of pound 5 at 2%. Thirdly, a tax per head (poll) of every single person aged 16 and above, with married couples being treated as one, at a uniform rate of 1/-.

Explanations

E 1. Social Status.

"A hubandman was a tenant farmer of a small estate. A Yeoman was a cultivator of land, either as a freeholder or a tenant of a landed estate. He differed from the minor gentry more by his way of life than by any relative prosperity. A gentleman did not work with his hands so his household included personal servants whereas the servants of a yeoman were his assistants on the land and in the dairy. A gentlemen’s son was often described as a yeoman while he was working his holding pending inheritance of his father’s lands.

E 2. The Calendar Year.

“Before 1752 the calendar year began on 25th March, the day on which the world was supposed to have been created. For example, take the date written as 4th February 1603/4. If written simply as a year, 1604 would be correct. However, before 1752, 1st January to 24th March were carried over as the end of the year 1603 which would be reflected in writing it in full as 4th February 1603/4. In 1752 the beginning of the calendar year was brought forward from 25th March to 1st January.”