Melcombe Horsey

TITHE APPORTIONMENT 1841

Tithes were paid as one tenth part of all produce from a particular piece of land, they date back as far as the Eighth Century and continued right up until 1891.  Tithe payments were made to the tithe-owner(s), which was often the Church, though lords of manors were also included. They were often stored in tithe barns of which some good examples still exist. The Tithe Commutation Act, passed in 1836 in order to stop disputes over payment of Tithes, substituted the payment in kind with a financial value based on a seven year average of the price of crops (wheat, barley and oats).

Tithe maps were drawn up in all counties around 1840 and the Dorset maps are stored at the Dorset Record Office. The Tithe Commissioners copy is stored at the Public Record Office in London.

Each map will show at least the boundaries of woods, fields, roads and waterways and the location of buildings. The houses are sometimes shown in enough detail to show their shape. The maps themselves are often very large and every single plot has a number which links to the tithe apportionments.

Digital copies of the Tithe Apportionments & Maps for all Dorset parishes can be obtained from the Dorset History Centre, either in hard copy or on disc

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