This piece consists of a bundle of fragments of documents containing assessments of individuals for subsidies, mostly sixteenth century and mostly for Suffolk, but including one fragment each for Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Kent. The piece has now been divided into various parts, as follows.

Part 23.

This is a fragment of an assessment of individuals for a subsidy dating from the reign of Henry VIII, for Longstow hundred, Cambridgeshire. The fragment has previously been identified as relating to Stow hundred, Suffolk, but is clearly endorsed with the abbreviation for the Latin name for Cambridgeshire. Part of a place-name is just legible over what remains of the assessment and this is probably 'Hardwick'.

The document has suffered damage and the present part consists of the top right-hand corner of the opening of the document only. Part of the heading in the form of a certificate of assessment is present and the first four or so lines of the assessment for an unknown place. From this, it would seem likely that the assessment in the original document was laid out in two columns, side by side.

The assessment shows that one individual was to pay 2s on £4, which would give a rate of 6d in the pound, but it is not possible to discover whether this should be on lands or goods. Another individual was to pay 4d on 20s' of wages; this seems to indicate the subsidy of 1523. Another individual was to pay 4d on 20s' of goods; this is problematical, as in all those subsidies, the threshold on goods was 40s.

On examination of the document in E 179/81/161, an assessment for the first collection of the subsidy of 1523, for Longstow hundred, Cambridgeshire, it seems certain that the present fragment once formed part of the head of that document. The script of the assessment is very similar, if not identical, and that document is laid out in two columns. The present fragment would then contain the head of the right-hand column. One of the commissioners named in E 179/81/161 is named as Thomas Lyne, and his name appears in the heading of the present fragment; this would seem to provide evidence that the present fragment was once part of that document.