History of the Scott surname in East Anglia

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: East Anglia, England
Surname/tag: Scott

The History of the Scott surname in East Anglia brings together the earliest mentions of people with the surname in the England counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

It includes all variations in spelling that are associated with the name including Scot, le Scot, Skot and Skott.

Contents 1 Surname origin 2 Distribution within England 3 Earliest records 4 Hearth Tax 4.1 Norfolk 4.2 Suffolk 5 Sources

Surname origin

Distribution within England

Earliest records

1217 & 1222 - Dunwich Bailiff & Mayor - Walter Skott ^[1] Records of Dunwich also name a Roger Scott (Bailiff 1246); Mattheus de Skott (Bailiff 1276); Martinus de Scott (Bailiff 1279); Warino Scott (sp?) (Bailiff 1283); Mat. Hen. de Scott (Mayor, 1288); Mattheus Scott (Bailiff 1315, 1324, 1332, 1338, 1342, 1343, 1344, 1348, 1364)

12?? - Norfolk Hundred Rolls - 6 people named Scot ^[2]

1290 - Heacham, Norfolk - John son of Robert le Scot, acknowledged he was a serf of Lewes Priory ^[2]

1299 - Ixworth, Suffolk - Scot listed as a villein ^[2]

1327 - Suffolk subsidy rolls lists 35 people named Scot ^[2]

1409 - South Creake, Norfolk - Robt Skot held land ^[3]

1429 - Norwich, Norfolk, John Scottys ^[4]

1523 - Suffolk Subsidy returns - 16 people named Scot^[2]

1524/5 - Norfolk subsidy rolls - 23 people named Scot^[2]

Hearth Tax

The Hearth Tax was a levy on the number of fireplaces that was levied by the English government between 1662 and 1689. One shilling was payable for each hearth every March and September, unless the householder was exempt as a pauper or if their house was worth less than 20s a year. The tex was collected 54 times in total, although sometimes a single assessment was the basis for more than one collection. The return for 1671 for the city of Norwich showed 58% of households were exempt. ^[5]

Records - which are nearly all incomplete - show the names of all the householders who were liable to pay the tax and those who were exempt. As such they form a detailed population list centuries before the introduction of the national census in England in 1841.^[5]

Norfolk Hearth Tax records have been published in three volumes:

• March 1666 - taxpayer lists for 11 out of 38 hundreds and some parishes in a further 3 hundreds^[6]
• September 1664 - "reasonably complete" taxpayer lists for 22 hundreds and some parishes in a further 8 hundreds^[7]

Taking the two together, there are complete or reasonably complete returns for 27 of the 38 hundreds, with some parishes in a further 7 hundreds and 4 with no returns at all. This gives an overall coverage of around 70% of parishes. The third volume is of the Exemption Certificates for 1670-1674. This covers just the City of Norwich and boroughs of Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and Thetford. 95% of the exemption certificates for these places have been located and transcribed.

Suffolk hearth taxes have been published in full for 1674; as the book is now out of copyright, it is freely available online at the Internet Archive.^[8]

The Cambridgeshire records have been published showing the 1662 return, with comments on how this has changed until 1664. In this way the return for both years can be seen.^[9]

Norfolk

1. Southrepps - Xto [Christopher] Scott - i
2. Diss - Edmund Scott - 7
3. West Rudham - Mr. Edwd Scott iiij
4. Norwich St Edmund - John Scoot - 2
5. Norwich St Peter Mancroft - John Scott - 1
6. Norwich St Peter Mancroft - Peter Scott - 3
7. Briningham - Tho Scott - j
8. Warham All Saints & Magdalen - Mr Jonas Scott - vij
9. Horsham St Faith - Thomas Scott - 3
10. Southery - Gabriell Scott - ij
11. Marham - Nich Scott - ij
12. Fincham - Mr John Scott - xij
13. Brandon Parva - Judith Scott - j
14. Hingham - Francis Scott - ij
15. Wymondham - Willm Scott - j
16. East Walton - John Scott - ij
17. Walpole St Peters - Mr John Scott - xiiij
18. Walpole St Peters - John Scott - iij
19. Walpole St Peters - John Scott - v
20. Walsoken - George Scott - ij
21. Banham - Mich Scott - ij
22. Ickburgh - Willm Scott - j
23. Letton - Edward Scott - j
24. East Dereham - Mary Scott wid - j
25. Great Ellingham - Margarett Scott - j
26. East Wretham - Willm Scott - iij
27. East Wretham - Peter Scott - j
28. Snettisham - John Scott - j
29. Dockinge - Henry Scott - ij
30. Oxborough - Henry Scott - j
31. Necton - Henry Scott - iij
32. North Pickenham - Widd [Widow] Scott - iiij
33. Caston - Edward Scott - j
34. Watton - Mr Tho Scott - vj
35. Kings Lynn North End - Aron Scottt - iij
36. King's Lynn Chequer - Henry Scott - j
37. King's Lynn Chequer - Eliz Scott - iij
38. King's Lynn Sedgeford Lane - John Scott - ij
39. King's Lynn Stonegate - Malicha Scott - iiij
40. Thetford Bailey End - John Scott - ij
41. Thetford Bailey End - Thomas Scott - j
42. Ranworth with Panxworth - Wid [Widow] Scott - j
43. Weston Longville - Tho Scott - ij

Suffolk

There were 59 Scotts recorded in the Suffolk Hearth Tax return:

1. Battisford - John Scott - 2
2. Bawdsey - Thomas Scott - 2
3. Great Barton - Richard Scott - 4
4. Great Barton - Rich. Scott jun - 3
5. Bedingfield - Jo. Scott - 3
6. Bradfield St George - Henry Scott - 4 (with another)
7. Bradley Magna - Jo. Scott - 2
8. Bradley Magna - Widow Scott - 3
9. Bradley Parva - Robert Scott - 1 (poore)
10. Brettingham - Jo. Scott - 3
11. Bury St Edmunds St Maries - Richard Scott - 6
12. Bury St Edmunds High Ward Risbygate Street - Scott at the Wagon - 8
13. Chediston - Edmund Scott - 3 (with 2 others) - certified as exempt
14. Coddenham - Robert Scot - 2
15. Cowlinge - Jo. Scott - 3
16. Cowlinge - Edward Scott - 3
17. Cowlinge - Scott - 2 (with 3 others) - certified as exempt
18. Debenham - Widow Scott - 1
19. Drinston - George Scott - 6
20. South Elmham St Margaret's - Robert Scott - 2
21. Erwarton - John Scott - 1
22. Erwarton - Ste. Scott - 1
23. Fornham St Martin - Robert Scott - 2
24. Glemsford - Mr Scott - 3
25. Glemsford - George Scott sen - 2 (with 1 other) - certified as exempt
26. Glemsford - Henry Scott jun - 2 (with 1 other) - certified as exempt
27. Haverhill - Scott - 4 (with 3 others) - certified as exempt
28. Hundon - Jo. Scott - 1
29. Ipswich St Clements - Thomas Scott - 4
30. Ipswich St Clements - Thomas Scott - 2
31. Ipswich St Clements (Wickes Bishopp) - James Scot - 5
32. Ipswich St Clements (Wix Ufford) - Robert Scott - 3
33. Ipswich St Mary Key - Henry Scott - 6
34. Ipswich St Mary Key - Jo. Scott - 3
35. Ipswich St Mary Key - Sander Scott - 2
36. Ipswich St Mary Key - Robert Scott - 2
37. Ipswich St Margarett - Jo. Scott - 2 (certified as exempt)
38. Ipswich St Margarett - Widow Scott - 1 (certified as exempt)
39. Lavenham - Jo. Scott - 6
40. Lavenham - William Scott - 3 (with 2 others) - certified as exempt
41. Lavenham - George Scott - 3 (with 2 others) - certified as exempt
42. Lavenham - Henry Scott - 3 (with 2 others) - certified as exempt
43. Needham Market - Widdow Scott - 5
44. Needham Market - Edmund Scott - 5
45. Newmarket - John Scot - 3 (with another) - certified as exempt
46. Redingfield - Thomas Scott - 2
47. Saxmundham - Mr. Scott - 6 (empty)
48. Stanton - Nich. Scott - 3
49. Stutton - Mr. Scott - 6
50. Thornham Magna - West Scott - 2
51. Thorington - Widow Scott - 1 (certified as exempt)
52. Walton - Jos. Scott - 5 (with two others)
53. Walton - Jos. Scott sen - 3
54. Walton - Jo. Scott - 2
55. Waybread - Robert Scot - 1
56. Weneston - Simon Skott - 3 (with 2 others) - certified as exempt
57. Wetheringsett - Ro. Scott - 2
58. Withersdale - Clement Scott - 8
59. Withersdale - Scott - 4 (with 3 others) - certified as exempt

Sources

1. ↑ Scot of Dunwich and Westleton, Pedigrees of the families of Suffolk, David Elisha Davy
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Norfolk and Suffolk Surnames in the Middle Ages, Richard McKinley, 1975
3. ↑ Norfolk Archaeology, Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society, 1898
4. ↑ Norfolk Archaeology, Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Norfolk Hearth Tax Exemption Certificates 1670-1674, Peter Seamon, John Pound & Robert Smith, British Record Society Hearth Tax Series Vol III, Norfolk Record Society, Vol LXV
6. ↑ Norfolk & Norwich Hearth Tax Assessment Lady Day 1666, P Seaman, Norfolk Genealogy Vol XX, Norfolk & Norwich Genealogical Society
7. ↑ Norfolk Hearth Tax Assessment Michaelmas 1664, P Seaman & M.S. Frankel, Norfolk Genealogy Vol XV, Norfolk & Norwich Genealogical Society
8. ↑ Suffolk in 1674 being the hearth tax returns, Suffolk Green Books, 1904
9. ↑ Cambridgeshire Hearth Tax, N Evans & S Rose, Cambridgeshire Records Society, volume 15