Search Wiltshire Tithe Award Register 1813-1882

Each record will give the following details:

• Name of occupier
• Name of owner
• Description of property, including size and land-use
• Date of survey

Please note that owners or occupiers of two or more plots of land will have more than one entry in the database, as the original records are organised by plot.

Originally, tithes were paid by parishioners as a tax in kind to their local church, traditionally in the form of one tenth of all agricultural produce. However, tithes were later commuted into a more convenient, but still unpopular, monetary charge. The tithe surveys were designed to identify owners and occupiers of land and who should pay what and to whom. Tithe commissioners would then reach so-called tithe agreements or awards concerning what were known as the apportionments, which were accompanied by very detailed tithe maps; once these were in place, tithe charges were payable.

Much more detail on the background to tithes and to the project conducted by Wiltshire Family History Society can be found in the four-page document attached to each record. The original records are deposited at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre for those who wish to consult them in person.