Our indexes include entries for the spelling beldam. In the period you have requested, we have the following 57 records (displaying 1 to 10): 

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Taxpayers in Sussex (1524-1525) By Act of Parliament of 1523 (14 & 15 Hen. III, c. 16) a general subsidy was raised, spread over four years, from laymen, clergy and peers. In each of the first two years 1s in the £ was raised from annual income from land; 1s in the £ on capital goods worth over £2 and under £20; and a flat payment of 4d on goods worth from £1 to £2, and also by persons aged 16 and upwards in receipt of £1 per annum in wages. In the third year a further shilling in the pound was payable on land worth £50 and upwards a year; and in the fourth year a shilling in the pound on goods worth £50 and upwards. To raise this revenue, returns were required from every hundred, parish or township. In Sussex, the returns for 1524 and 1525 cover the city of Chichester (divided into Estrata, Westrata, Southstrata, North[strata] and Palenta), the borough of Midhurst, and then the rest of the county divided into rapes, within those into hundreds, and within those into boroughs, tithings, liberties, townships or parishes. It is important to note that the cinque ports of Hastings, Rye and Winchelsea were exempt from the subsidy, except for alien inhabitants; and that the town of Westbourne was also exempted 'as the town was lately destroyed by fire'. Aliens are noted as such, sometimes with nationality; and Brighthelmstone (Brighton), which had been burnt by the French in 1514, is only represented fragmentarily. The Sussex Record Society published this transcript and edition by Julian Cornwall of the 1524 and 1525 returns: the 1524 return was used for the main transcript where possible, names peculiar to the 1524 lists being marked with an asterisk, and those with amendments in 1524 with a dagger. At the foot of each 1524 return the new names from 1525 are given. Only the amount of the assessment is printed (m. = marks). Letters prefixed to the sum give the basis of the assessment, no letter (or G) meaning that it was on goods - A, annual wages; D, annual wages of day-labourers; F, fees or salaries of office; L, lands; P, profits; W, wages; x, no basis stated.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Allegations for marriages in southern England (1669-1679) The province or archbishopric of Canterbury covered all England and Wales except for the northern counties in the four dioceses of the archbishopric of York (York, Durham, Chester and Carlisle). Marriage licences were generally issued by the local dioceses, but above them was the jurisdiction of the archbishop, exercised through his vicar-general. Where the prospective bride and groom were from different dioceses it would be expected that they obtain a licence from the archbishop; in practice, the archbishop residing at Lambeth, and the actual offices of the province being in London, which was itself split into myriad ecclesiastical jurisdictions, and spilled into adjoining dioceses, this facility was particularly resorted to by couples from London and the home counties, although there are quite a few entries referring to parties from further afield. The abstracts of the allegations given here usually state name, address (street in London, or parish), age, and condition of bride and groom; and sometimes the name, address and occupation of the friend or relative filing the occupation. Where parental consent was necessary, a mother's or father's name may be given. The ages shown should be treated with caution; ages above 21 tended to be reduced, doubtless for cosmetic reasons; ages under 21 tended to be increased, particularly to avoid requiring parental consent; a simple statement 'aged 21' may merely mean 'of full age' and indicate any age from 21 upwards. These are merely allegations to obtain licences; although nearly all will have resulted in the issuing of the licence, many licences did not then result in marriage.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Nottinghamshire Marriage Licences (1577-1700) Nottingham Archdeaconry, which was almost coextensive with the county of Nottingham, lay in the diocese and province of York, but it had substantially independent jurisdiction for both probate and the issuing of marriage licences. These are abstracts of the archdeaconry marriage licences: they usually state the groom's address, occupation, age, and condition; the bride's address, age and condition; and the names of the churches or parishes at which it was intended the marriage would be celebrated. Not all licences led to marriages. Where the age given is 21, it should be construed as '21 or over'. There was no obligation for the marriage to take place at the parish suggested, but the licence would only be valid within the county. These abstracts have been annotated with extra information found on the marriage bonds. 26 Nottinghamshire parishes (Beckingham, Darlton, Dunham, Eaton, North Leverton, Ragnall, Rampton, South Wheatley, Cropwell Bishop, Bleasby, Blidworth, Calverton, Caunton, Edingley, Farnsfield, Halloughton, Holme, Kirklington, Morton, North Muskham, Norwell, Oxton, South Muskham, Southwell, Upton and Woodborough) lay within the small peculiar jurisdiction of Southwell, which issued its own licences: abstracts of these for the period 1588 to 1754 are also included here.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Inhabitants of Hertfordshire (1723) An Act of Parliament of 9 George I required all men aged 18 and over who had not done so previously to swear allegiance. From 17 August to 24 December 1723 the greater part of the men of Hertfordshire attended at various inns in the county to sign the oath of allegiance: women were exempt from the act, but almost as many attended and swore. This list indicates the place of attestation by letters A., B., C., &c., for which there is a key, scans of which are included with the main scan for the surname.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Hertfordshire Loyalists (1745) This list of the members of the Rebellion Association, 'an association of the noblemen, gentlemen, clergy, freeholders and inhabitants of the county of Hertford', preserved among the Hertfordshire sessions records, also records the amounts of each individual's subscription or voluntary donation to the cause of maintaining the Church and Crown of England.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Masters and Apprentices (1746) Apprenticeship indentures and clerks' articles were subject to a 6d or 12d per pound stamp duty: the registers of the payments usually give the master's trade, address, and occupation, and the apprentice's father's name and address, as well as details of the date and length of the apprenticeship. 1 January to 3 October 1746	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Hertfordshire Sessions (1700-1752) Incidents from the Hertfordshire Sessions Books and Minute Books. These cover a wide range of criminal and civil business for the county: numerically, the the most cases (240) concerned assaults; presentments about repairs to roads and bridges (67); larceny (63); unlicensed and disorderly alehouses (33); nuisances (28); and trading without due apprenticeship (24). This calendar gives abstracts of all entries in the Sessions Books and Minute Books for Hertfordshire sessions for the period.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Apprentices (1758) Apprenticeship indentures and clerks' articles were subject to a 6d or 12d per pound stamp duty: the registers of the payments usually give the master's trade, address, and occupation, and the apprentice's name, as well as details of the date and length of the apprenticeship. 1 January to 31 December 1758.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Masters of Apprentices (1758) Apprenticeship indentures and clerks' articles were subject to a 6d or 12d per pound stamp duty: the registers of the payments usually give the master's trade, address, and occupation, and the apprentice's name, as well as details of the date and length of the apprenticeship. 1 January to 31 December 1758.	Sample scan, click to enlarge
Apprentices registered in Huntingdon (1763) Apprenticeship indentures and clerks' articles were subject to a 6d or 12d per pound stamp duty: the registers of the payments usually give the master's trade, address, and occupation, and the apprentice's name, as well as details of the date and length of the apprenticeship. There are central registers for collections of the stamp duty in London, as well as returns from collectors in the provinces. These collectors generally received duty just from their own county, but sometimes from further afield. The indentures themselves can date from a year or two earlier than this return. (The sample entry shown on this scan is taken from a Bristol return. Each entry has two scans, the other being the facing page with the details of the indenture, length of service, and payment of duty.) IR 1/54	Sample scan, click to enlarge

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