Land Tax, Stamp Duty, and Smiths Bank, Nottingham

We know that the banking Smith family of Nottingham were important to the Beaumonts in the eighteenth century. This led me to consider more about the Smiths and their banking business. Again and again I found the surname Bury, and snippets of information about the collection of tax.

Take this with caution please, it is not fully researched (see notes).

Stamp Duty was introduced in the 1690s and one John Bury was appointed the Distributor for the Stamp'd Parchment and Paper, for Nottingham and/or Notts. At this time the local Receiver of Land Tax was Thomas Trueman, one of whose sureties was Samuel Hallowes, of Norton, Derbyshire, and of Nottingham, a Land Tax Commissioner for Nottingham. Mr Hallowes' daughter Frances was Mrs John Bury.

Stamp Duty Act, from a Law Textbook of 1711

Thomas Trueman died and John Bury succeeded him as Receiver in 1697 or 1698, and at some stage - perhaps in 1708 - was himself succeeded as Distributor of Stamps by Richard Smith (who seems not to be related to the bankers).

It was normal for there to be delays in sending tax money to London. Indeed the foundation of the banking business lay in putting it to use locally. Sending cash by road was (or was made out to be) a risky undertaking. Until the practice was found to be unlawful, John Bury and other Receivers had often claimed for the cost of "strong guards and extraordinary charges" and perhaps the genius of the Smiths lay in keeping accounts between London and Nottingham so that the money did not need to be physically sent.

From the death of Thomas Smith (1728) the principal partners in the banking business for the next 20-odd years were Abel Smith in Nottingham and Samuel Smith in London.

(In parenthesis, several of the Beaumonts, the family of Abel's wife Jane, were Land Tax Commissioners in the West Riding of Yorkshire, including her grandfather and father, and the family had experience of collecting tithe money and lending that out - they were, in a sense, Smiths in miniature).

John Bury retired, handing the Receivership over to his son John Bury junior. But in 1732, John junior died, and Mr Bury senior took the role again until his own death six years later. He was buried in St.Mary's Church, Nottingham, close to his house on Short Hill.

The second son William Bury was made Receiver in his father's place. At this time the Land Tax collected annually from Notts and Nottingham was a little short of £30,000, which was banked with the Smiths.

Sometime c.1740-1747 William Bury subscribed for four copies of Charles Deering's proposed History of Nottingham (which was in fact not published until 1750 or 1751). Other subscribers included Abel Smith (a copy for himself and one for Samuel), and Thomas Beaumont [probably Abel's brother-in-law, though not indicated "The Rev." here] (Deering MSS at Bromley House Library).

The old Smiths Bank, South Parade, Nottingham (from Easton)

Mr Bury and Samuel Smith were made Freemen of Nottingham in 1751, but by about that time William had moved to Berkshire where he died in late April or early May 1754, leaving as his widow Ann, a member of the Sherwin family of Nottingham. The next brother was Thomas Bury, who appears to have lived in St.James's, Westminster.

Samuel Smith died in 1751 and there is the impression that during the next few years Abel Smith declined and his sons bickered. It is said that William Bury's account with the Smiths was closed (Leighton-Boyce, p.41). There was a tricky political situation at home. A great deal of "stuff" happened in the early 1750s and I feel sure the Nottingham Bank would have lost some customers. Abel senior died in late 1756, and within a year his sons George and Abel were separating. In a letter in November 1757 Abel said that "Mr Bury" [that can only mean Thomas] was willing to make him his deputy (to JS Charlton, Add Ms.32876 f.79) whilst at the same time George lobbied for the business, claiming that his London cousins were joining him (ibid. f.41r & v) - but did they?

It has been said that George did become the Deputy Receiver of Land Tax but I don't know for how long or what is the evidence at all. Abel was the "most liked" (JS Charlton to Duke of Newcastle, 22 Nov. 1757; Add Ms 3287 f.77r).

In 1758 Abel signed up a new partner, London heavyweight John Payne, and this may have helped to give him the credibility needed. Abel being Deputy Receiver-General of Land Tax for Nottingham and Notts is said to be documented in a "Memorial" of 1767 (Treasury Papers T/1/462/156-157); this is on the get-a-copy list.

Reports about Land Tax in the Treasury Books and Newspapers are often about problems, especially defaults or arrears. For example the inhabitants of a district of Lincolnshire were hit with Land Tax claims 25 years on because their Receiver - a man named Joseph Gace - had defaulted (but he had built a fine house....). Fortunately for the taxpayers, they were able to prove that they had paid. In general there is an absence of stories about Land Tax from Nottingham, which I take as implying that those concerned were running a tight ship - sending money in quicker than some, and not creaming off more than was considered acceptable.

Land Tax Act, 1744. George II c.I

A man dressed in naval uniform arrived at Nottingham and tried to get cash from Smiths Bank on "Bath and Bristol notes" but was refused "for want of a proper Indorser." The man then asked if there was another bank in the town. He got £100 out of Wrights before hastily leaving Nottingham! (Derby Mercury 2 February 1781). This sort of thing is why people trusted Abel Smith.

Thomas Bury also had an office in connection with issuing subpoenas in the Court of Chancery. He died in 1772 (see notes), when his unmarried sister was his executrix. This was Ann Bury, and Notts Archives (DD/138/55) have what seems to be the final sign-off to her for her late brother as the Receiver-General of Land Tax, again for Nottingham and Notts., dated August 1773.

Abigail Gawthern noted that Ann Bury was found dead in her bed in June 1787. She had her own house in Hockley in Nottingham. Her will was proved by her sister, the last surviving child of John Bury (d.1738). This was Dorothy, late wife of Francis Plumptre - from another well-known Nottingham family.

Miss Bury left money to Abel Smith for a ring, demonstrating the close connection between the two families, which now apparently ended after ninety years.

The next Receiver was George Mason of Eaton ("Idleton") near Retford, who had been a gentleman agent for the old Duke of Newcastle. He was soon succeeded by his son, another George Mason.

Now turning back to the role of Distributor of Stamps:-
As noted, this office was held by John Bury at the beginning of the century. It passed through several hands, people who seem initially connected with the book and stationery trade.

The office came to one James Foxcroft, an attorney, perhaps by the 1760s.  His arrears were such that in 1784 a "Writ of Extent" was issued and a judgment obtained allowing the court-appointed official (the "Deputy Remembrancer") to seize and sell his property, or enough of it to cover the debt. This process took several years.

The new Distributor of Stamps was Thomas Smith, Abel's nephew. In the late 1790s stamp duty from Notts averaged about £8,000 a year and I think the Distributor was entitled to keep seven and a half percent.

Thomas Smith was the builder of Gedling House a few miles outside Nottm. He retired in about 1805 and moved to Wales, having sold Gedling to William Elliott.

Gedling House

Thus Frances (Fanny) Beaumont - who was Mrs Elliott - lived at Gedling in the early c19, and it was often said that the Beaumonts' house at East Bridgford had come from the same plans. I don't know. But I was amused to be told by my daughter-in-law that her father almost bought Gedling House about twenty years ago. It had a ballroom!

One of the sons of Thomas Smith was George, who was Distributor of Stamps and Collector of Legacy Duty at Nottingham in 1813, when he issued the receipt below. I think this is George Smith (d.1843) to whom there is a Monument in the chancel of St.Peter's Church.

Beaumont Archives 18/322. See my earlier piece re John Walter

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Notes

There were other taxes, such as "Window Tax," "Duties on Marriages," "House Duties." One might be a "Receiver" for more than one of these, and/or in more than one place. I suspect there are lots of mistakes even in the primary sources. The system was chaotic and corrupt. As early as 1729 the post-hunt feast at Houghton was described thus:-

From "The Norfolk Congress" in "Robin's Panegyrick, or, The Norfolk Miscellany"

concluding with this:-

A Land Tax Act was passed in each Session of Parliament, directing that so much be raised from each county. Oversight was entrusted to "Commissioners" for each county (wealthy gentlemen and lawyers, by and large). The next step down was the "Receiver" - who may have employed a Deputy. Money was collected by "Collectors" or "Assessors" working locally for the Receiver.

In the Catalogue of the Newcastle Papers there is "Abel Smith: Memorandum for the Duke...." in 1767 (Add Ms 32981 f.40). I thought this might be relevant to Land Tax, and obtained a copy of it. But it relates to a possible appointment of Rector of St.Peter's Church, Nottingham, and whilst it mentions Abel Smith, it is not in fact from him.

There were several contemporary gentlemen called Thomas Bury, so care is needed. However a notice in the Bath Chronicle (late October 1772) explicitly states the Thomas Bury who had lately died at Holt - a small spa near Bath - to be the Patentee in the Subpoena Office and Receiver-General for Nottingham.

Throughout the Burys' time, there was the parallel office of "Receiver-General of Land Revenues" for both Lincs and Notts. (see J.C. Sainty, Receivers of Land Revenues (for the BIHR)). This was held, at least from c.1720, by a succession of gentlemen - lawyers - who lived at Norwich.  "Land Revenues" is not the same as "Land Tax" and means, I think something approximating to "Rents due to the Crown."

I expect these Norwich gentlemen engaged agents or deputies to collect the money, and of course, handling and accounting for cash was the Smiths' business.  I could understand them visiting Norwich either to try to get the business or (if they got it) to re-assure their clients that things were being well-managed.

However, any such visits were not always successful, it seems, for archive catalogue entries (eg T 1/469/155-156) about the alleged frauds of one Charles Desborow in the late 1760s refer to him as deputy receiver of Land Revenues in Notts. and other counties. The Receiver at that time for Notts and Lincs was Francis Frank, of Norwich.

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Sources include:
Calendar of Treasury Books [and Papers],
"A Complete State of the British Revenue,"
Gentleman's Magazine,
Derby Mercury and other papers,
The London Gazette,
Abigail Gawthern's Diary,
Reports from Committees of the House of Commons vol. XIII
House of Commons Journal;
W.R. Ward, The English Land Tax in the Eighteenth Century;
Samuel Miller (1849), The Laws of the Land Tax;
J.A.S.L. Leighton-Boyce, Smiths the Bankers;
Easton, History of a Banking House;
White, Smiths who lived at Bromley House.

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