This poser is taken from the Poll Books and Lists and is the account for Old Kirk Parish, Edinburgh, dating from 1694 (Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland, E70/4/5, page 54). Poll taxes were imposed four times during the 1690s to pay off the debts and arrears of the army and navy – payments were graded according to income.
The hand here suffers a few places from interference between letters from other words and other lines of text. It is also partly obscured in one section where the entries have been crossed out later. Some names and words have also been contracted in places. Secretary hand e, h, and r are particularly noticeable here.
Questions: How many servants are listed and how much tax did they have to pay?
Help
For help with reading the poser, use our coaching manual. The following areas may be of particular assistance: