Aberdeenshire Land Valuation Book, 1644 - 1667

Book of the valuationes of the shyre of Aberdene as they were sett down in the years 1644, 1649 and 1667 transcribed by I. Morison in 1672.

Commissioners of Supply were introduced to Scotland in the seventeenth century. Commissioners were chosen from the wealthy land-owning classes of each of the old Scottish counties, and appointed, initially at least, for the specific purpose of allocating and collecting the cess , or land tax from their peers. The tax was first introduced on a regular basis in 1643, and records created in the course of its collection are known variously (depending on date and place) as land tax returns, valuation books, or stent rolls. From the middle ages, burghs had organised their own form of taxation in the form of feu charters, under which owners paid a fixed sum in perpetuity. The system of land tax introduced by the Exchequer in 1643 was however, eventually extended to cover the burgh authorities as well as the counties.

The Commissioners were later entrusted with other duties, such as the enforcement of the Education Act of 1696, and from 1718 shared responsibilities with the Justices of the Peace for roads and bridges. Their responsibilities were gradually diminished by local government reorganisation after 1832, in particular the Valuation of Lands Act of 1854, and the introduction of county councils in 1889, although they continued to work alongside county councils on joint police committees until 1929.

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Very brief collection level description available on Aberdeen University Library Catalogue, accessible online http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/library/

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Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Special Libraries and Archives (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk ) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

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The following records created by the old administrative units covering the historic counties of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are also deposited in this repository: The following records created by the old administrative units covering the historic counties of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are also deposited in this repository: Aberdeenshire land valuation books, 1634 - 1795 (transcripts for 7 years) (GB 231 MS 507) Aberdeenshire land valuation books, 1634 - 1795 (transcripts for 7 years) (GB 231 MS 507) Aberdeenshire land valuation book, 1750 (GB 231 MS 1038) Aberdeenshire land valuation book, 1750 (GB 231 MS 1038) Stent roll for the Burgh of Aberdeen, 1748 - 1749 (GB 231 MS 57) Stent roll for the Burgh of Aberdeen, 1748 - 1749 (GB 231 MS 57) Poll book of the Shire and Burgh of Aberdeen, 1696 (GB 231 MS 568) Poll book of the Shire and Burgh of Aberdeen, 1696 (GB 231 MS 568) Alphabetical index to the first 76 volumes of the Council Register of the City of Aberdeen from 1398 - 1800 (GB 231 MS 595) Alphabetical index to the first 76 volumes of the Council Register of the City of Aberdeen from 1398 - 1800 (GB 231 MS 595) Testimonials granted by the Baillies of Aberdeen Burgh, 1589 - 1603 (GB 231 MS 1050) Testimonials granted by the Baillies of Aberdeen Burgh, 1589 - 1603 (GB 231 MS 1050) Abstract register of sasines for Aberdeenshire, 1599 - 1606 (transcript made early 19th c) (GB 231 MS 837)

The main series of records for these authorities are deposited at Aberdeen City Archives, Town House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1AQ. A catalogue of these records is available for consultation in the Universitiy Searchroom.

The Valuation of the County of Aberdeen for the year 1667. Printed from the original manuscript (now at Fettercairn House) by permission of Lord Clinton, ed. by Alistair and Henrietta Tayler (Aberdeen:Third Spalding Club, 1933)

This material is original.