Parish Records

[GixerGirl]

Can anyone tell me what the 'P' might mean written against some of the entries in this extract from the Parish Records of Middlewich, Cheshire.

Thank you.

[CaroleW]

Could mean they are buried in public graves

[stanmapstone]

What is the date? P usually means Pauper.

Stan

[candrjm]

 Could explain maybe

The baptism may have been during one of the periods when the government imposed a tax on births. This happened twice in 18th century. Paupers were exempt. Clergy were responsible for collecting the tax. The C. of E. curate in each parish had to record all births in his parish, including those to non-Anglicans, collect the money and account for it and note any exemptions.


See  "Marriage Duty Act/Registration Tax (Parish Records & Tax Records" on The GenGuide.
https://www.genguide.co.uk/source/marriage-duty-actregistration-tax-parish-records-amp-tax-records/184
Period covered 1695-1706. Taxes were levied on births, marriages, burials, childless widowers and bachelors over the age of 25. Rates were:  births 2 shillings; marriages 2 shillings & sixpence;  burials 4 shillings. (I believe that widowers were allowed a period of mourning before being taxed.)

The scope of the Stamp Duty Tax (1783-1794) was similar.
Both taxes were to pay for wars.

Both quotes copied from Maiden Stone found on this link although it's worth reading the whole thread:


https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=816639.0

[Maiden Stone]

4 of the 5 names marked P were widows or single women, so probably poor. 
"Mabell Sandbach widow Buried a Pauper of Middlewich", unless the word between "a" and "of" is daughter?
  The man was a shoemaker. There was a saying - "a shoemaker's children go barefoot" i.e. he was too poor to provide shoes for his own children.

[GixerGirl]

Thanks to all for your input, but thanks in particular to candrjm, I checked and these P's only appear between 1783 and 1794 which ties in perfectly with the dates of the second tax you refer to. I was completely unaware of these taxes and so once again have learned something new through the huge wealth of knowledge so generously shared by the lovely RootsChat community.

Many thanks to all.