Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History INSIDE THE BIRD HOUSE

If you pose the question "Window Tax" instead of "Light Tax" you may get more joy, hope this helps.

the windows are metal and we knocked the downstairs fire place out and didn't see any steps and also the upstairs bedroom fire place was knocked out last time we were there

Thanks Bandy.
Tried both now but there's no reference to 'Cromwell's Light Tax' unless it could have been Thomas Cromwell in 1500's. So dismissed that. The only other that I found William III 'Window Tax' in 1696/7. This would fit with the house dates nicely. The other thing of course, is the fact that Rocks has dismissed the bit about chimney sweeps steps (and I wasn't aware that they had those until half way through 1700's earliest), just maybe the publication was created with one or two myths thrown in!

This might help shed a little light on things...

http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/articles/window_tax.html

And here's another useful link re: investigating old properties -

http://www.buildinghistory.org/taxation.shtml

I thought you had gone into hibernation!

Thanks for these websites. The second one looks to be very interesting.
Maybe it was a single story and a couple more levels were added later. That did happen sometimes, I believe.

The Window Tax gave a whole new meaning to the expression "daylight robbery"...

Ah! Is that where the expression came from ?

...probably not, but it should have been!

Pretty awful really,for many different reasons. Hard to imagine living without daylight in your rooms.
There again it's getting that way now as the trees in the roads are so huge (not being lopped) lights are on in the summer by 7pm. When the country is trying to save energy,, it's not good.
Possibly they spent more time outside back in the days of Window Tax, as they would be working all hours probably alot on the land too.
It must have been very unhealthy, no light,no air flow ,smokey old fires, damp stone walls and probably condensation streaming down them .

...which is exactly why the law was repealed in the 1850's.

Interesting! I've been right up inside the chimney but no sign of any steps anywhere. The chimney is certainly big enough to climb up, but there's no way into the top floor from it.
The windows are cast or wrought iron - not sure which - but they're the size they are because of the limitations of stone window surrounds - I don't think it's anything to do with a light tax.

Re. Daylight
I think that twowheelkelly would agree with me that, despite the small windows, there is loads of natural light.

Twowheelkelly, many apologies for sending you up the chimney on a wild goose chase!

Seriously, it is quite bizzar that this little book described as a 'pot pourri' of loal history seems, so far,to have got most things wrong! Some of the info they included I refrained from posting, as it didn't ring true anyway. It would appear that the lesson to be learnt here is 'don't believe all we read.
So yet again, another misleading bit of information. Sorry!

The main thing that surprises me, is the fact that the person who edited and gave the acknowledgements, happened to be quite a well informed and active person from one of the main local history groups in Wirral.

...he's also a wiki member so be careful what you say, granny

How do you know Have you got the booklet?