Page 8 - 3rdPub1

The Blaker Society © Obviously the majority of artisans in the town of less extensive trade fell

into the 4d category (see further below).
There are three sources for the Cuckfield return (E179/189/41/16

and /17, and Ext 6/99/117), despite which there are some portions
missing. Although the population was steadily growing in the rebound
after the Black Death of 1348, the Sussex headcount returned in the
successive taxes of 1377, 1379 and 1381 declined from 35,326 to 26,616,
as more and more people evaded this regressive taxation particularly
punitive for the poor. Therefore a portion of the population is simply
unrecorded in the 1379 returns.
The Blakers of Cuckfield therefore appear to us as two married
men, John and Walter, living not particularly close to one another, if the
return was compiled street by street. If they were living in others’
households the heads might be John atte Nashe and Walter Gynnour
respectively. If they had married servants or son-in-laws living with them
they might be Laurence Bakere and John Broksmele and perhaps others,
respectively. There is certainly a suspicion that Laurence ‘Bakere’ might
be Laurence Blakere in reality.

Blak’ in the Poll Tax

The following Blak* entries appear in Sussex:

page col. name place occupation tax

581 a William Blak Chichester — 6d
581 c John Blakewell Petworth — —
586 d Nicholas Blake Thakeham — 4d
588 a Johanna Blake Warnham — 4d
590 a Johanna Blake Coombes servant 4d
591 e John atte Blakelond Henfield — 4d
592 b John Blak Wyckham — 4d
592 e Robert Blake West Grinstead — 4d
593 c Clement Blakeman West Thorney — 4d
593 c John Blakeman West Thorney — 4d
593 c Agnes Blakemon West Thorney — 4d
609 c John Blaker e Cuckfield — 4d
609 c Walter Blakere Cuckfield — 4d
619 b Richard Blakemor Ditchling tanner 2s
623 b Agnes Blakeman Brighton — 4d
626 d John Blakeman Wellingham — —
628 d William Blakman Chichester — 3s
629 a Alice Blake Chichester — 4d

The only Blac* surnames are Blachemerdenne (592c) and Blachurst
(628b).