Piddington's response to Napoleon
Voluntary Contributions for the Defence of the Country 8th March 1798 The voluntary contributions of the inhabitants of the parish of Piddington in the County of Oxford, and their respective families, in support of Government, and the Defence of their Country, at this time threatened with Invasion, by a cruel and bloodthirsty enemy. |
Some notable Piddington names, their servants and tradesmen.
These contributions must have had an immediate effect. Five months later, on the 3rd of August, under the command of Admiral Nelson, the British fleet destroys the French navy in the Battle of the Nile. A year later, the first tax to be levied directly on people's earnings was introduced as a temporary measure to cover the cost of the Napoleonic Wars. This income tax still operates today as a temporary measure. |