Request for window tax exemption, 1765
| A 'window tax' was first introduced in 1696. It was seen by some
as a tax on light and air; but despite its unpopularity, it was not
abolished until 1851. Because houses with more than a certain number
of windows were liable to be taxed, house owners often, reluctantly,
blocked up windows, and there was a tendency to include fewer windows
when new houses were built. Reproduced here is a petition requesting
that ministers of the Church of Scotland be exempted from paying the
tax, together with the Treasury's reply refusing to grant exemption. Catalogue reference: SP 54/45, p. 619 (1765) Catalogue reference: SP 54/45, p. 623 (1765) |
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