Tithes - Introduction

Tithes

Introduction

Historically tithes were a church tax, a tenth part of the produce of the land and stock, ostensibly to maintain the parish incumbent and the church, and were introduced over a thousand years ago. Tithes were one of the most hated of all taxes, and were directly against the conscience of many dissenters, particularly the Quakers, and appeared to many to impoverish yet further the poor, while enriching the clergy.

Of course, farmers were the hardest hit, being forced to reward a clergyman who put nothing into the toils of the land, and who exacted his tithes vigorously, at lambing time, harvest, and haymaking. Even the poorest, who perhaps only had a small garden or orchard were not exempt from the parson, and there were no allowances, as we have today before taxation, it was a tenth, pure and simple.

Tradesmen, manufacturers, merchants and foreign competitors did not pay this tax, so it was seen as a very unjust tax, affecting only those who obtained their living from the land (not forgetting rivers, where fishing and fisheries were also tithed).

Types of Tithes

There were three categories of tithes -

Predial Tithes: levied on the fruits of the earth, e.g. corn, hay, all crops, wood, and fruit

Mixed, or Agistment Tithes: levied on animals and animal products, e.g. lambs, colts, calves, piglets, wool, milk, eggs and honey. However, deer, rabbits, game birds, fish and other wild animals were only tithed by local custom only.

Personal Tithes: levied on the gains of man's labour, but generally only on such things as milling or fishing (from fisheries, not from simple fishing).

What was and was not titheable became the subject of numerous legal cases.

Exemptions

Barren or waste land, including land improved from this state, for a period of seven years.

Woods and forests leased directly from the Crown

Lands formerly owned by the Cistercians, Knights Templars, or Knights Hospitallers

Lands formerly owned by the larger monasteries, who paid no tithes at the time of the dissolution.

Lands which had customarily paid no tithes (since time immemorial).

Great and Small Tithes

All tithes were payable to the rector of the parish. However, if he was not resident, and employed a vicar to perform his duties, then the vicar would be allotted the small or vicarial tithes, which were (generally) all the tithes except the most valuable, i.e the tithes of corn, hay and wood. Again, what constituted 'great' and 'small' tithes were the subject of much dispute, and the practice varied from place to place.

Appropriators and Impropriators

The ecclesiastical body or person who had spiritual jurisdiction over a parish, and to its tithes, was termed the 'appropriator'. However, where the appropriators were religious orders that were subsequently suppressed, as in the case of the Knights Templars or Knights Hospitallers, or the great monasteries at their suppression by Henry VIII, their lands often fell into the hands of laymen, who then claimed either the payment of tithes, or exemption from their payment. Such a layman who was entitled to receive tithes was termed an 'impropriator' because he was an 'improper' person to receive them. But the same may have been said of the lay monks, nuns, military orders, &c, who had been in the receipt of tithes.

Compositions and Moduses

Generally payment of tithes was made 'in kind', i.e. actual produce, such as corn, hay, etc, and the incumbent of a parish would often have a tithe barn to store such tithes. However, many incumbent preferred to receive their tithes in cash, and over the centuries many local agreements were made to convert tithes into money payments.

Compositions were paid annually, and could be adjusted from time to time, and could be terminated by either party. Moduses were a permanent, fixed charge, on certain titheable items, or on a piece of landholding. Moduses, often set centuries earlier, were a thorn in the side of incumbents, as their value were derisory, but were defended as strongly by the farmers as tithes were by incumbents.

Situation in the Parish of Bubwith in the 1840s

Bubwith and Harlethorpe

All tithes of the townships of Bubwith and Harlthorpe, were commuted at the enclosure, in 1832.

Breighton and Gunby

The Dean and Chapter of York are the approprietors of one moiety of the Great Tithes and lay owners are the improprietors of the other moiety. At the Tithe Award in 1847, Henry, Earl of Harewood was the lay impropriator, and was also the improprietor of a moiety of potatoes. The vicar of Bubwith was entitled to all tithes of Gunby and small tithes (except flax and hemp) and a moiety of potatoes in the rest.

In the NOTITIA PAROCHIALIS, A.D. 1708, it is recorded that "Eight towns and hamlets, all impropriated, except Gunby, pays no tithes, only pays 5s. 6d. per annum to the Vicar of Bubwith, in lieu of all tithes.

Foggathorpe

The Dean and Chapter of York are the approprietors of one moiety of the tithes of corn, grain, lamb and wool, but they have always farmed (leased out) their lands in Foggathorpe, including the tithes, to laymen.

The vicar is entitled to a moiety of the tithes of lamb and wool. The improprietors of the other moiety of corn and grain are several (7 are named in the 1844 Tithe Award).

Gribthorpe

The Dean and Chapter of York are the approprietors of one moiety of the Rectorial Tithes of corn, grain and hay, but they have always farmed (leased out) their lands in Gribthorpe, including the tithes, to laymen. The owner of the other moiety has been in lay hands (Colonel George Wyndham at the Tithe Award of 1841). All the tithes are paid in kind, except milk - 1p/cow, ½p /calf, ¼p wool, ¼p/fleece, 1s. 6d / foal.

Spaldington

Spaldington was a little more complex, owing to parts of it being in the parish of Bubwith, while other parts being in the parish of Aughton. It has also been the subject of several disputes between the owners of tithes in Aughton and the owners of tithes in Bubwith.

At the 1839 Tithe Award John Hobart, Lord Howden, was improprietor of all tithes arising from his lands in Spaldington that were in the parish of Aughton, and one moiety of all the predial tithes on his lands in the parish of Bubwith. Sarah Charlotte Campbell of Bath, widow, was improprietor of all tithes arising from her lands in Spaldington that were in the parish of Aughton, and one moiety of all the predial tithes on her lands in the parish of Bubwith. Sir Henry Mervyn Vavasour of Melbourne Hall, Bart., was improprietor of all tithes arising from his lands in Spaldington that were in the parish of Aughton, and one moiety of all the predial tithes on his lands in the parish of Bubwith.

The Dean and Chapter of York are approprietors to the other moiety of all of the above.

The vicar is entitled to all tithes from the ancient gardens and orchards and to all the mixed tithes other than one moiety of the tithes of lamb and wool.

Willitoft

The Dean and Chapter of York are the approprietors of one moiety of the tithes of corn, grain, hay, lamb and wool, but they have always farmed (leased out) their lands in Willitoft, including the tithes, to laymen. The Hon. Baron Howden; Sir Henry Mervyn Vavasour, Bart., and Sarah Charlotte Campbell, widow, were the improprietors of the other moiety, and were also the improprietors of the whole of the tithes of that part of Willitoft which was in the parish of Aughton (around 60 acres) at the Tithe Award in 1843.

The vicar was entitled to all other tithes in Willitoft within the parish of Bubwith.

Situation in the Parish of Bubwith in 1802

November 1802

The parish of Bubwith contains the townships of Bubwith, Harlthorpe, Breighton, Willitoft, Spaldington, Gribthorpe and Foggathorpe. Certain tiuthes were held by the Right Hon. Earl Lonsdale under lease for 3 lives from the Dean and Chapter of York.

	A	R	P
Bubwith consists of certain ancient garths and homesteads estimated to contain:	50	0	0
An open ing meadow	107	0	0
A marsh or open pasture called Dion + Old Arrams	95	0	0
A piece of common	15	0	0

And several open arable fields estimated and called by the several names of:

North Field now beans and oates	300	0	0
Intack Field fallow	150	0	0
Bootles (Birtles) fallow	150	0	0
High Field wheat	280	0	0
Little Field pasture to be ploughed out	155	0	0

Total	1302	0	0
The said Dean and Chapter and Robert Jefferson Esq are owners of the Great Tithes in equal moities

	A	R	P
Harlthorpe consists of certain ancient garths and homesteads estimated to contain:	200	0	0
25a mown, 41a 2r in pasture, and 133a 2r in arable

And several open arable fields called:

Far field fallow	100	0	0
Lea or Ley Field wheat	80	0	0
New Close wheat	60	0	0
East Field oates	80	0	0
Ings oates and wheat	20	0	0
West Field pasture	110	0	0

Total	650	0	0
The said Dean and Chapter and Robert Jefferson Esq are owners of the Great Tithes in equal moities

	A	R	P
Breighton consists of certain enclosures estimated to contain:	796	0	0

And Ingsland and open fields called:

Longlands wheat	92	0	26
Mill Field and Bourn fallow	137	0	0
Car Field and South Field oates and beans	128	0	0
New Moor seeded and in pasture	66	0	0

Open unstinted commons, called

The Marsh	2	3	36
Outgang	11	1	35
Far Common	93	0	31

Total	650	0	0
And also a farm or place of 300a called Gunby, claimed to be tithe free.
The Great Tithes of Breighton are owned by the Dean and Chapter of York and Lord Harewood in equal moities.

	A	R	P
Spaldington consists of certain enclosures estimated to contain:

Arable land in Bubwith parish	768	0	0
Grass land in Bubwith parish	487	1	19
Arable land demense	972	0	0
Grass land demense	715	3	26
Arable land in Aughton parish	249	0	25
Grass land in Aughton parish	124	0	38

Total	3316	2	28

Tithe of the arable land in Bubwith parish belongs in equal moities to the Dean and Chapter of York and the owners of Spaldington. The land in Aughton the Dean and Chapter have no claim whatsoever.

	A	R	P
Gribthorpe consists of ancient enclosures estimated to contain:	786	2	0
Whereof 474a 2r is under plough and paying tithe to the Dean and Chapter and Earl Egremont.

Foggathorpe consists of ancient enclosures estimated to contain:	1283	0	0
Whereof 700a is under plough and paying tithe to the Dean and Chapter, Barnard Clarkson and others

Summary
Township	Acres	Roods	Perches	£	s.	d.
Bubwith	1302	0	0	221	5	6
Harlthorpe	650	0	0	106	10	4
Breighton	1328	3	20	179	14	9
Willitoft	671	3	31	120	17	6
Spaldington	3316	2	28	318	0	0
Gribthorpe	786	2	0	136	8	4
Foggathorpe	1283	0	0	209	0	0
Total	9338	3	39	1291	16	5

Proprietors
Bubwith	Breighton	Gribthorpe
Mr Layton	George Blanshard	Earl Egremont
Ed Weddale	James Holmes
Thos Weddale	Mr Gee	Spaldington
Mr Chaplin	Mr Thompson	Sir Henry Vavasour (has lately offered to sell)
Mr Lowther	Rt. Hepton	Mr Aspinall
	Geo. Dealtry
Foggathorpe	John Blanshard	Willitoft
Mr Bernard Clarkson sen	Will Watson	(Has been lately sold and I have not the purchaser's names, is now in 6 farms)
Mr Bernard Clarkson jun	Alex Bond
Mr Musgrove	Lord Harewood	Harlthorpe
Thos Jewitt	Mr Danser	Mr Weddall
Mr Coates	Mr Smith	Mr Jefferson(in 8 farms)

Lammas Rents, 18th October, 1815
Forename	Surname	£	s.	d.
Widow	Barnard	330	0	0
John	Hance	346	10	0
John	Tomlinson	177	10	0
John	Dove	23	6	3
John	Petinger	6	0	0
Geo.	Etherington	7	4	0
Thomas	Howden	9	0	0
Pelham	Smith	5	0	0
John	Broader	8	15	0
William	Bell	6	10	0
Richard	Ellis	6	10	0
John	Dinnis	6	5	0
Thomas	Wilson	6	10	0
Robert	West	1	1	0
George	Harrison	1	5	0
The	Township	1	0	0
William	Diewery	6	0	0
Matthew	Blanshard	6	10	0
Thomas	Newsham	2	5	0
Thomas	Swaine	2	10	0
Thomas	Halfield	0	10	6
Henry	Camp (the waste)	0	2	6
Janes	Graves (the waste)	0	1	0