The Ship-Money Returns
for the County of Suffolk

£16.45 (plus £2.50 p&p) from S&N Genealogy Supplies, West Wing, Manor Farm, Chilmark, Salisbury, SP3 5AF
Tel: 01722 716121, Web: www.genealogysupplies.com.

The imposition of ship-money in 1634 was a measure resorted to by Charles I to replenish his treasury during the period when he was attempting to carry on government without parliament. It was levied on the residents of Suffolk supposedly with a view to providing ships to defend their coastline and ports.

The records of ship-money for Suffolk are held in the British Library, and the transcription reproduced here was originally published in 1904. It contains a detailed introduction, the returns themselves, and indexes by parish, place and surname. The returns show the surname and forename of the - predominantly male - taxpayers and the sum paid.

The index suggests that around 5,000 surnames - and many more individuals - are reflected in the returns, making them useful for those with Suffolk ancestry.