When we pass to the 14th century material becomes more scanty and we turn
to the ancient tax-rolls. One of these, written in 1320, tells us that
the tax-payers numbered nine—William Smith, John Traps, William Woodward,
John Goldyng (Goldings-hill), Geoffrey Algor (Algers-road), Sewall
Renoit, Godfrey Bigge, Richard Brown, and Stephen Shepherd—who among them
contributed 23s.—equivalent it may be to £23 and more nowadays. Six
years later 19 people contributed just under 25s. Of these John de
Hatfield has left his name behind him. Theobald of Loughton seems
identical with a Theobald Poleyn, who was Serjeant of the Chancery Rolls,
and in that capacity had a warrant from the King to the Abbot of
Stratford in 1333, calling on him to provide a pack-horse and groom, for
carriage of the rolls to York. He also did a little business as a
money-lender, and our rector in 1324–5, Henry de Sutton, was in his debt
for 40s. It is noteworthy that, though the spelling of Loughton about
this time is Loketon on the tax-rolls, on the Close Rolls it is Lughton.
The first poll-tax was granted in 1376, and about that time our parish
numbered 44 assessed souls, husbands, wives, and widows, John Ruddok
being the only bachelor. At the same time Chigwell had a population of
136.