Georgian tax rolls reveal domestic service history

HISTORICAL tax records that list the names of thousands of domestic servants across 18th century Scotland, including locally, are now available. Records of female and male servant tax are two of 15 different types of taxation records released online by National Records of Scotland. These range from taxes on animals such as dogs and horses, the windows on buildings, and vehicles such as wheeled carts and carriages. During the late 18th century, employers paid taxes on their household servants to fund government expenditure, particularly during the costly wars with France. Archivist Tessa Spencer said: “Large numbers of people worked in domestic service in the 18th century. This means there is a very good chance that if you have Scottish ancestors, one of them is mentioned in these tax rolls as either servant or employer. “Domestic service wasn’t exclusive to the wealthy aristocracy. While the Duke of Hamilton employed an impressive 41 servants at his estate, many ordinary households of modest means also employed domestic help. “These records are a fantastic resource for anyone researching family, local or social history.” They can be found on the Scotland’s People website with a new index created for both female and male servant tax rolls, making it easier to locate specific individuals – whether footmen, housemaids, gardeners – or their employers. Searching these indexes is free, with a small fee to view images of the original records.