Chimney Money

There is a church at Northampton upon which is an inscription recording that the expense of repairing it was defrayed by a grant of chimney money for, I believe, seven years, temp. Charles II. There is also a tombstone in Folkestone churchyard curiously commemorative of this tax. The inscription runs thus— "In memory of Rebecca Rogers, who died August 29. 1688, Aged 44 years. "A house she hath, it's made of such good fashion, The tenant ne'er shall pay for reparation, Nor will her landlord ever raise her rent, Or turn her out of doors for non-payment; From chimney money, too, this cell is free…