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Replies To Minor Queries.
_Births, Marriages, &c., Taxes on_ (Vol. ii., p. 10.).--The first instance,
that I am aware of, of a tax on marriages in this country, occurs in the 5
of Wm. and Mary, c. 21. The war in which William engaged soon rendered it
necessary to tax other incidents of humanity; and accordingly the 6 & 7 Wm.
III. c. 6. was passed, granting to his Majesty certain {61} rates and
duties upon marriages, births, deaths, and burials, and upon bachelors and
widowers (a widely-spread net), for the term of five years, "for carrying
on the war against France with vigour." The taxes on births, marriages, and
burials were continued indefinitely by the 7 & 8 Wm. III. c. 35. I know not
when this act was repealed; but by the 23 George III. c. 67., taxes were
again imposed on burials, births, marriages, and christenings; and by 25
George III. c. 75. these taxes were extended to Dissenters. By the 34
George III. c. 11., the taxes were repealed, and they ceased on October
1st, 1794. The entries in the parish register noticed by ARUN, refer to
these taxes. Query, Were our ancestors justified in boasting that they were
"free-born" Englishmen as long as one of these taxes existed?