The hearth tax was the first of a new wave of taxes brought in shortly after the restoration of King Charles II in 1662 and continued for 27 years until 1689. Collected twice yearly at Michelmas (29th September) and Ladys Day (25th March) copies of the returns of payments were sent to the exchequer and to the local Quarter Sessions. The first Hearth Money Act was passed in the Irish Parliament in 1662. It provided that 2 shillings should be paid on every hearth or ‘other place used for firing’. Arranged by county, parish and, usually, townland, the Hearth Money Rolls list the names of householders who were liable to pay tax at the rate of two shillings on every hearth or fireplace they had. Some people were exempt from the tax and, of course, others managed to evade paying it. The lists are not a complete record of every householder in a townland. Those exempt included persons living on alms, or persons not able to work, or persons who had a house or lands worth less than eight pounds per annum and with property valued at less than four pounds.
The original Hearth Money Rolls were destroyed by fire in the Four Courts, Dublin in 1922. However, the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland had made copies of the Rolls and these were lent to PRONI in the mid-1920s for copying. This clearly has implications for the spelling of both personal names and townland names as the copies are transcripts of transcripts. Nevertheless, the HMR is a valuable census substitute for the seventeenth century. Thanks to Bobby Forrest for this succinct explanation of the Hearth Tax: see his blog - Ulster Genealogy and Local History Blog
| SURNAME | GIVEN NAME | TOWNLAND | HEARTHS |
| ADAMS | Valentyne | Ballybogan | 1 |
| ALEXANDER | John | Clonleigh | 1 |
| ALLISON | Andrew | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| ALLISON | Richard | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| ANDREWS | Charles | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| ARMOR | Patrick | Croghan | 1 |
| ARMOR | Widow | Croghan | 1 |
| BARCLAY | Hugh, Mr. | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| BARNEHILL | Robert | Croghan | 1 |
| BARNEHILL | William | Croghan | 1 |
| BEARD | Wm. | Croghan | 1 |
| BEATTY | James | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| BEATTY | Widow | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| BEXWICK | John | Ballybogan/Lifford | 3 |
| BLACKBURN | John | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| BLACKBURNE | James | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| BURD | Charles | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| BURD | Thomas | Croghan | 1 |
| BURTON | Charles | Ballybogan/Lifford | 2 |
| CALDWELL | John | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| CARSALL | Robert | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| CLARKE | Wm. | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| CONINGHAM | John | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| CONINGHAM | Mathew | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| CUDBERTSON | Wm. | Shannon | 1 |
| DONNELL | John | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| DUNLAP | John | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| EDWARDS | Lewis | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| FLEMING | Mrs. | Clonleigh | 1 |
| FULTON | John | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| FULTON | John | Ballybogan/Lifford | 2 |
| FULTON | Wm. | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| GLASS | Patrick | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| GROVES | John | Croghan | 1 |
| HAMILTON | James | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| HAMILTON | John | Shannon | 2 |
| HAMPTON | Hugh | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| HANSARD | Mr. | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 2 |
| HART | Thomas | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| HILL | Jean | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | |
| HOGSHEAD | George | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| HOLLIDAY | Abraham | Ballybogan/Lifford | 2 |
| HOLLIDAY | Henry | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| JACK | Patrick | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| KATHRINS | Daniel | Croghan | 1 |
| KENNEDY | Tegg | Croghan | 1 |
| LAWE | James | Clonleigh | 1 |
| LECKY | Robert | Clonleigh | 1 |
| LINDSAY | James | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| LOWRY | John | Clonleigh | 1 |
| MAHAFFY | Rob. | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| MAINES | Humphrey | Croghan | 1 |
| McCARDUFF | Donnagh | Shannon | 1 |
| McCARDUFF | Hugh | Shannon | 1 |
| McCARMICK | Thomas | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| McDERMOND | Shan | Croghan | 1 |
| McGETTEGAN | Tegg | Clonleigh | 1 |
| McILLREED | Neale | Shannon | 1 |
| McJUNKING | Daniel | Croghan | 1 |
| McKIM | David | Shannon | 1 |
| McQUIN | Bryan | Clonleigh | 1 |
| MORRICE | Wm. | Ballybogan/Lifford | 2 |
| MURRAY | Hugh | Shannon | 1 |
| MURRAY | James | Ballybogan/Lifford | 3 |
| NICHAL | Wm. | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| O'BOGAN | Bryan | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| O'BOGAN | Gorry | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| O'CAHAN | Donnagh | Shannon | 1 |
| O'CROSSAN | Murtagh | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'FILLAN | Murtagh | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'GALLOGHER | Shan | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'GALLOGHER | Shan | Croghan | 1 |
| O'HUE | Philomy | Croghan | 1 |
| O'KEROLAN | Bryan | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'KEROLAN | Daniel | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'KEROLAN | James | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'KEROLAN | Neale | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'KEROLAN | Neale Groome | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'KEROLAN | Philomy | Clonleigh | 1 |
| O'MECHAN | Connor | Croghan | 1 |
| ORR | Wm. | Shannon | 1 |
| O’SLANE | Owen | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| PATON | John | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| PATTERSON | Robert | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| PERKINS | Richard, Esq. | Ballybogan/Lifford | 6 |
| PORTER | David | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| PORTER | John | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| PORTER | Patrick | Croghan | 1 |
| ROBINSON | Richard | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| RODGER | Walter | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| SHORTALL | Mrs. | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| SIMISON | Michael | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| SKELLY | Andrew | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| SNODGRASS | Thomas | Ballybogan | 1 |
| STANTON | John | Shannon | 1 |
| STEELE | Ninian | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| STEELE | Peter | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| STEVINS | Andrew | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| STURGTER | Robert | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| TYNEING | John | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| WALLACE | John | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| WALLACE | John | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| WALLACE | Wm. | Manister [Kilmonaster] | 1 |
| WHYTE | Andrew | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| WILKY | James | Monyn/Ballindrait [Moneen] | 1 |
| WILSON | John | Algory [Argery] | 1 |
| WOODS | John | Ballybogan/Lifford | 1 |
| YOUNG | Robert | Croghan | 1 |
Further Clonleigh Parish records can be viewed here:
Clonleigh Parish Records, Co. Donegal
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