An awesome resource (not sponsored), Tudor Taxation, and some of the intricacies and frustrations of chasing Cornish Ancestors.

 Back in Cornwall this month, and scrambling about in one of my most favourite eras: the high medieval and Tudor periods.

While this is not a sponsored post, I do also want to touch on the fabulous resource that is Westcountry Books, because I genuinely like their work.

I first came across Westcountry Books (and bought the resource we'll be looking into today) back in ...I want to say 2016 (which, if you've been here any length of time, was right before our world went crazy, and that's really only starting to settle down now), but life conspired, so I'm only truly managing to slow down and take some proper time to start dabbling with it now.

Westcountry Books is owned by Bernard D Welchman, who is a professional Genealogist and Lecturer, specialising primarily in Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. Among other places, you will find him online at Cyndi's List.

Westcountry Books covers a number of topics (including genealogy, heraldry, and some elements of social history), for Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Hereford, Monmouthshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, and the Westcountry in general.
For our primary area of interest, Cornwall, there are approximately 30 titles at time of writing (and yes, there is an entry on my bucket list to gradually add to my collection of their publications).

Let me introduce you to their product, the 'Cornwall Subsidies in the Reign of Henry VIII 1524, 1543 and the Benevolence of 1545', edited by T.L. Stoate:

First thing to note:
In the time since I bought this one, I notice that they now have a download option and a thumb drive option. 

This is going to be an interesting and helpful pair of options for some. 

In all honesty, I would say that the postage rates quoted are very fair (especially in the worldwide situation, which, while the pandemic continues, is the applicable one for us, because there's no hope of being over to Devon and the family home any time soon unfortunately, thus our 'purchase locally and send to the family home' strategy just isn't functioning for now), but I can see how a download version saves that little bit, and does mean you get your file 'now' if that's your thing.

Personally though, genealogy is one of five self-employed jobs I work (and I'm still studying for my full license too - though hopefully this is the year!), so there's never going to necessarily be a time for me, when the stars align (as in I have the money, the requisite time, a computer that's not about to die, something to store it on, and the state of health to be able to sit and study all at the same time), so I shall satisfy myself with good, old-fashioned, 'happy post', one title at a time, when the opportunities gradually present themselves. Maybe a thumb-drive at some point, if I'm pushing the boat out and purchasing two!

Always good to have options though and it's great to see them offering lots of different solutions instead of just one thing. Always a mark of a good store I find.

The CD itself comes in a soft pocket, and came in a reinforced envelope to keep it nice and safe in the post. We do already have Adobe on the computer, so in our case, it's pretty much ready to rock.

The PDF is a pretty good scan of an earlier record (presumably the TL Stoate original).

Accessibility note:
For those who use screenreader technology, or who are working with a visual field issue, it's worth knowing that the font is a typewriter font. The nearest matches I've managed to find are 'Thesis' & 'Courier'.
Very occasionally there are very slightly heavier touches in the type, but these are few and far between.

There are also some tables and quite a lot of columns throughout.

Overall, I find (mine's a visual field issue from an ABI), if it's a high energy day, with plenty of time to take over it, and a notebook to hand, I can usually blow the print size up enough and edge my way through it slowly, a little at a time.

There is permission to also print one copy for your own use in with the purchase. 

I haven't tried this as yet, but I think I will at some point. With a lens, I'd manage the type and I'm thinking physically annotating, maybe colour-coding it will help.

TL Stoate themselves, so far as I can tell, is something of an enigma. 

A shame because they're a writer, for me, who feels very companionable on the page and I'd love to know more.
There is an entry for them in the OCLC World Catalogue. From there, it seems they have some 39 works, spanning a period from 1973-2002.

It would appear that Stoate was, in this instance, making, a typewritten transcription of an original Crown Copyrighted manuscript, which makes it a secondary source at the point of interacting with this PDF, but certainly a secondary source that can be held as extremely trustworthy, due to the clarity, and the nature of its production.

Since we cannot reproduce any of the contents, citing the source (for instance in an online tree), becomes a tertiary source, as we're reporting what we saw in a secondary source.

The PDF itself consists of an introduction that gives a lot of strong context information, then an analysis of the returns. There are also various tables, including a reckoner for rate of taxation, followed by the various items in sense order, not necessarily chronological.
Very occasionally a certain year may not be available for a certain area, but these instances are few and far between.

Towards the back there is map information and an index of Parishes, as well as an index of surnames.

Why is this all so interesting? Beyond the obvious cool nature of this document and everything it entails?

Our Laity/Layty/Laytye relations (and it looks as though there'll be plenty of sideways relations too, given names that crop up so-far too).

If you share Laity family, or have spent any amount of time around some, then you'll know several things to be true:

* There is a saying that: "Anything that happened to Cornwall in its time, there was at least one Laity involved in there somewhere".

* The family origins are 'Poor dairy farmers' (Lay-tye being at its root an occupational name for 'dairyman').

* There are currently around about 60 years worth of group family history and genealogy research, headed by cousin Russell out in Indiana, USA (who is an exceptionally cool individual. Shout me if you're not already in touch with him, I'll put you in touch. The guy's encyclopedic!).

- That research has resulted in a number of editions of 'The Book' (a collated official genealogy of the family that everyone's research has contributed), which is updated every time there's a new significant update. Currently, we're on the 2022 edition.

* The family research, collectively, resulted in 7 branches initially (Sections A - G), with additional, as yet unplaced folks, eventually developing into section H.
- To date, we're working on the theory (which so far is bearing out) that all Laity relations all over the world connect together somewhere in one of those sections. This is an incredibly cool thing to have in one family, and we're super-lucky that it's the case.

For many years (I think it was already a known thing back around the GLG '97 - Great Laity Gathering 1997), the wisdom we had, led back to a group of brothers. In the case of the side I'm part of (Section B), our earliest was Richard Laytye ( my 10th GGF) whose eldest son was baptised around 1562-3. In the 2013 edition of the family tree, he was still our earliest known and placed relative.

Back around 2016 flitting about online and reading something (I honestly can't even remember where now), I came across a footnote somewhere that mentioned a possible father for him called John, who was referred to in "The Land Grants of Henry VIII in Cornwall".

I took it to Russell, he worked his magic, and bam! we managed to tie all the branches together at the top of the tree (as reflected in the 2016 edition).

As a result of Russell's uncanny ability to jigsaw everyone's research together, the top of the family tree currently (as at time of writing) looks a little like this:

The hope is, that we may find someone to match one of these men (and it would most of the time be men at this point in Cornwall. Approx 1/3 of the population of Cornwall isn't even paying tax at this point, and the few women who do appear are nearly always widows).

First up, the standard disclaimer: 

We have to keep coming back to the fact that if a name happens to match, it doesn't necessarily mean its our one. The chances of our 'poor farmers' being in here is still relatively remote.

The fact we have one in the Land Grants, raises the odds slightly, but we don't know the full story there, so we have to proceed with caution so as not to attach the wrong people.

Onwards, to the surname index.

From this, we find that there are 10 entries for any variant of Laity (we tend to always just use the modern variant for the plural, because people and feelings often run high and it's just the easiest way to handle things - families are tricky things).

Two variants re-occur twice in there, and then there are also two new-to-us variants (I checked with Russell) that haven't cropped up before.

Alphabetically, we find:

Taken from my notes

* = new-to-us variant spellings

It is also worth noting that there is a place name of 'Laity (Ilogan)' given, which matches with a current theory we are chasing, that the family name derives from a place

...if we're very lucky, because at this point in Cornwall, there are some taking the surname from a place name (and some variation between keeping the one you were born in, and changing it up if you move somewhere else), or some taking the name of father or grandfather as either a last name, or a middle and last name (and of course in a variety of orders ...because that's fun for your genealogist descendants... le sigh...)

There are also a large number of related surnames, sometimes in the same area at the same time (looking at you Polkinghornes, Pentreaths, Penroses, and Nicholls for a start). More on them in the coming months hopefully.

Bearing in mind our golden rule, that even if there are name matches in here, they don't necessarily correspond with known and placed relatives as yet, what we're able to extrapolate is that a number of men who possibly match appear in the various rounds of taxation, meaning they're: 
    1) ALIVE - on the basis it helps to                 be alive to pay your tax.

     2) Likely to be 'of age'.

Our candidates break down as follows:

You'll note that I've marked two entries with symbols.

My theory is, these two Johns may be one and the same man (or related very closely).

My train of thought so far is:

In 1524, John Leytye of Wenepp (which is Gwennap), appears on the page in a group.
He appears together with a John Nicoll Trevargh, a John Nicoll Jr., and James their servant.

Sadly, no way of knowing James' surname for sure, but there is always an outside chance he's a relation. We're unlikely to know on that one at this point. 

James is paying tax on goods he owns, which is very interesting and says something about this group.

He seems to be paying a similar level of tax to other servants appearing in that area at the same time.

Laying James aside for a moment, this group pays what appears to amount to about 20% of the total tax for Wenepp at this time. They pay the most tax of anyone in the area, and their bill is more than twice that of the next highest paying individual.

Fast forward to 1543 and back in Wenapp (note the ever shifting spelling of English at this time).

This time we find John Leytie appearing next to a John Nicoll (James the servant does not appear). Each of these two men, is paying tax on approximately one third of the amount that the group of three were paying in 1524. 

My thinking is, if John Nicoll Trevargh died off somewhere in the intervening 19 years, then it's possible that the estate was broken up, leaving John Leytie and John Nicoll (a Jr. no more), with their share as individuals?

This will require some further proving/disproving at a later date.

Tantalising, later on, over the page turn, there's a James Laytie we haven't seen before, paying tax on approximately four times the amount that James the servant was 19 years before. Could this be one and the same man? Perhaps he's retired? Another one to follow down at some point, but as a lesser priority (because there's nothing to really link the two for sure at this point).

Very quickly however, we run into a snag:

The key problem is, there's only one possibly overlapping individual for any of those payment dates (though in the case of 1545, with the Benevolence as well, all three of those men could, or could not be one and the same, or more accurately, both the tax-paying Johns could, or could not be the same, and could, or could not be our John).

The only other name match we have in there at all is the Richard paying tax in 1525, but:

a) Every other Laity man down the generations is a Richard, a William, or a Henry. It's kind of our thing.

b) Our Richard (in Section B) isn't born until 1528, so it seems somewhat unfair if it's him being made to pay tax in 1525(!)

Of course, there's also the possibility that our current John's father may also be a John. In which case, he could also perhaps be an earlier appearing John (for instance the earlier Gwennap man) and our existing and placed John may appear later.

The unmatched men have been noted by Russell in section H (as yet unmatched individuals).
Hopefully something will give at some stage and we'll be able to narrow down still further. 

There's some hope here though:

* For a start, we've 2 new variant spellings to look for, which is always handy.

* There there's all manner of other resources we can slowly wade into in search of our men. 

- For instance, regardless of whether he matches our John or not, the John connected to the Nicolls men in 1524 must have left some sort of trace behind (if only in a group with them). 

* Namppean is a new one on us. If that's a patronymic, that might also get us somewhere.

As someone (probably my mother, I suspect) once said: "The thick plottens".

Tribute to Nancy

 This afternoon, coincidentally around the same time as Sean Connery, our Aunty Nancy died.

Nancy (née Laity), was born at the start of 1935, the youngest child of three born to Lily May Jacobs and William Henry Laity.

By 1940 William had deserted Anna and the children. Eventually he would have a second family with another daughter and three more sons, including my Dad.

Nancy and her sister Stella, were avid lovers of family history, genealogy, and Cornish culture. Nancy was, in fact, my first real life example that genealogy & family history are not only things that it is okay to like, but also that it was the kind of thing that real people could engage with.

Nancy once told me that she early on in her marriage to Jim she had started looking for the half siblings. The search proved fruitful and both Stella and Nancy were writing regularly with my Dad by the mid 90s.

We all attended the 'Great Laity Gathering' family reunion in Marazion in the summer of '97, arriving a day or so early in order to meet Stella, Noah, Nancy, Jim & Alison first.

Nancy & Stella the first day we met
Taken outside Stella's house in St. Blazey.

'Great Laity Gathering 1997'
Trip to St. Michael's Mount to see the
portrait of Dolly Pentreath
RH edge: Dad (in black), Sis (in white), Mum (in orange)
I took the photo. Walking between Stella & Nancy.

That trip was the one that consolidated that there would always be a family history & genealogy journey at some point during my life. Stella made a proper Cornish tea that first afternoon and from then, throughout the rest of her life until she entered nursing care, Nancy gave me first potted genealogy basics lessons, what 'vitals' are, how to record and read trees, primary documents, secondary sources and photographs. She even taught me about the fine art of graveyard hunting for dead relatives. Later she would go on to share more research tips & first her discoveries, then later, she shared mine with equal excitement. She was so encouraging from day one. I remember she said to me that first day, if I got good, perhaps I could join the 'family genealogy team', co-ordinated by cousin Russell in the states. I said I'd love to join in and research with her & she joked that maybe after she passed, a slot might come up for me. I've lived half in terror of that happening ever since. Nevertheless, it was a really motivating joke. She was an exceptionally clever woman.

We stayed in touch and another proud day, was when my eldest son was tiny and we were able to get down to Newquay, she made him his first taste of Cornish pasty and on the same day, taught me the family pasty recipe. 

We stayed in touch across the years, mostly sharing family & genealogy news. 
The weekend before my Dad died we spoke on the 'phone and she was so warm, loving and supportive. 

Mum and I saw her last in June 2015, not long before she moved into nursing care. Shortly after, with the help of cousin Russell, we made a discovery about the family tree that allowed us to push back one generation by using the Land Grants of Henry VIII in Cornwall. This also allowed us to unify some of the branches higher up and tidy off some loose ends. I wrote to her about it, but I'm not sure she was able for that kind of information by that time. Still, it felt the right thing to do to keep her included. I never did write to her about the DNA side of things. Mainly because I think by that time, it would have been a bit beyond her. In a parallel world though, it would have been so cool to look together over our shared DNA & chase down the people and the stories.

I will most remember her as a massive source of love and support. She didn't care about the circumstances of how we came to be related, but that we were family.
Tonight I am strolling again through the Laity side of the family tree. Retracing her steps and seeing what there could be out there that's new.

Sleep tight Aunty Nancy. You are so loved. xxx

Just 28 Days (on time and DNA testing)

We're finally really getting down to doing our DNA testing. I can hardly believe the thing we've talked of for so long (especially for himself and his Italian side) is actually happening.

In the end, we decided that the best one for us at this time is the My Heritage kit (which is currently on special offer as it happens). We got a fantastic deal and the test is beautifully low-tech in that it's a really simple cheek swab.

Should you have an opportunity to try one, I highly recommend it. I think most of us have had those times where a place or activity has been somehow familiar and then we've later gone on to find that we had ancestors in that place or doing that activity. It's like it resonates with something deep within us. Stating my bias here, I'm extremely interested in the notion of collective/generational memory. I also highly recommend reading some of the scientific investigations around it if you're interested too. They're an absolutely riveting read.

It was very peculiar to sit there last night, watching a digital clock display on the computer counting off the seconds to one minute either side, rolling that swab around.
Of course there's nothing to see and very little sensation - it's a bit like if you've ever had a piece of cotton wool brush against the inside of your cheek, but it's a strange and oddly confronting thing to sit and think 'what would even my grandparents think of this?'
We are in an age of more scientific privilege than ever before and progress is so swift. Isn't it frightening to think that there are now University graduates who couldn't, without help tell you what the relationship is between a cassette tape and a pencil?!
...these are just a few of the thoughts that raced through my head while performing my test.

It was such a small thing and a large thing at the same time. Stupidly, I felt a little under-dressed for the occasion sat at my desk in sweater and jeans. Though for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what would have felt more appropriate. As though somehow, magically, it might improve the test I also felt as though I should be thinking 'good thoughts' of all my ancestors (though truly, I haven't yet found an ancestor I haven't at least fallen for a little bit). It's a huge responsibility in some ways too. I found myself thinking: "What if my DNA's broken, or damaged? What if there's not enough of it? What if it doesn't carry enough information to be worthwhile?" I had to give myself a stern talking to on that and as with this blog, I called to mind the future ghost of some downward descendant who's often with me when I'm tracking our family's history and remember that as much as genealogy is a pursuit for one's own edification and pleasure, potentially some point down the track, it may also prove to be a tiny treasure for those who come after, particularly for those of us who bridge the gap between the analogue and digital eras.

Now there's just that four weeks wait for results. That in itself is an odd thing. In today's world it seems like such a long time, and yet, four short weeks ago from today I was back to work following time off for our wedding (separate post on that sometime soon. You've probably noticed it takes me a while to get the words to come together) and four weeks from now it will almost be Samhain and the Celtic New Year, which is one of my most favourite holidays in the world.
I'm also remembering back to childhood. There was a book that used to be put out (by Royal mail I think) that covered all kinds of interesting and educational activities that, if you liked the look of them, you could send 28p and however many stamps and in "just 28 days" you'd receive a parcel - honest-to-goodness exciting post. That time just used to seem to fly by, so I think I'm going to have to remind myself that it's "just 28 days" and contain my soul in patience. After his and my results arrive we have to do it all over again for the other members of our family who've kindly agreed to test as well.

I'm excited with the potential learning opportunities from this experience. On my father's side, my cousin has kindly agreed to test, which is lovely as we are sadly low on males to test on our Laity side now. I'm aware of other males who have tested up our common lines, particularly the Spencer/Spencer-Churchill side & I believe there is someone out there who tested some Hobbins Men also. On my mother's side, my two second cousins have agreed to test with me. This will be interesting for all of us as their maternal grandmother and my maternal grandmother (Olive and Edna Dawson respectively) were identical twins, so we're expecting that between us, we may have some very interesting results.


Have you done any DNA testing? What was your experience like?