WHATS THE SAYING?

Posted by Jerrybird on April 02, 2004

In Reply to: WHATS THE SAYING? posted by Gary on April 02, 2004

This looks like the origin:

In 1696 there was a financial crisis created by a growing inflation caused by the many conflicts both in Ireland and on the continent. One of the forms of taxation created to help pay the debt was known as the "Window Tax".

The tax would be paid on a house of more than six windows. Unfortunately none of these records appeared to have survived, one way for a person to by pass the tax was to brick up one or two windows over the stated six, even today on some of the older houses the bricked up windows are still there.

2001, G. Timmins 'The History of Longparish'