Help with Tithe Maps

What are Tithe maps and apportionments | Tracing the History of a Property | Searching for a Person | What if I Want a Copy? | FAQs

What are Tithe maps and Apportionments?

Tithes and the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836

Tithe maps and apportionments were drawn up following the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836. Traditionally tithes were a local payment in kind of one tenth of the produce of land and levied for the upkeep of the local church and clergy. A landowner would therefore give the incumbent of the parish church eggs, wool, wheat, etc. With changes in tithe ownership and more extensive land enclosure, however, payment in kind was increasingly converted into a fixed sum of money.

By the 19th century, there were wide variations in the method and level of payment of tithes across the country. Disputes were frequent, tithe payments were devalued by inflation and, increasingly, parishioners resented the payment of tithes. Resentments had a number of causes: tithes increasingly were paid to laymen, Nonconformists objected to supporting the Established Church and many powerful landowners viewed the payment of tithes as a restriction on innovation and growth. The Act replaced payments in kind with a rent-charge levied in accordance with the value of land and in proportion to the price of corn.

The process of tithe commutation

The implementation of the 1836 Act was overseen by Tithe Commissioners based in London, while locally local assistant commissioners and surveyors carried out the work. In Cheshire, the area on which the payment of tithes was based was the township. In 239 Cheshire townships there was a voluntary agreement for the conversion of tithes to a rent-charge, while in 213, where no agreement was forthcoming, a compulsory award was made. Once the amount payable was established a valuer was appointed to draw up the tithe apportionment.

The tithe apportionment

Tithe apportionments are documents recording the acreage subject to tithe, the names of all tithe owners and their tenants and the rent-charge due on each plot or parcel of land in the township in question. Each plot is given a number relating to its position on an accompanying map. Within a township a number of plots would be recorded for which no rent-charge was due. Typically, these include such features as roads, rivers and canals.

The tithe map

The tithe map shows where each plot numbered on the apportionment is located. Guidelines for the production of these maps were drawn up, but these were generally ignored. Nevertheless, dwelling houses are generally coloured red, other buildings black, while trees are usually drawn to indicate woodland and water features are coloured blue. Roads are generally coloured pale yellow and are included, along with such features as canals, even when not subject to tithe.

Landowners had to pay for the work of surveying and were keen to keep such costs down. Resulting pressure brought an act of 1837 which stated that any map was acceptable for the process of tithe commutation as long as it was accepted by two thirds of landowners in a tithe district. In many cases, existing maps were used as the basis for tithe maps and no new surveying was carried out; there is therefore a wide variation in the standard of mapping.
If the Tithe Commissioners were satisfied with the accuracy of the maps, they would certify them as such. These ‘First Class’ maps bear the seal and signatures of the Commissioners and are accurate enough to serve as legal evidence. They account for 16% of all maps produced in England and Wales.

The maps were produced locally and had to be approved by the Tithe Commissioners. Three maps were produced – an original map held at the Tithe Commission and now at The National Archives, and two copies – one for the parish and one for the diocese. The diocesan copies, as well as some of the parish copies, are now at the Cheshire Record Office. It is the diocesan copies which are included on this website.

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Tracing the History of a Property

If a building in which you are interested was built before c 1850 the tithe map is an invaluable source. It is usually the earliest reliable large scale map of a complete township and identifies each building in the township at that time. The outline shape of the house at the time of the map can be seen and, by linking the map to the tithe apportionment, you can also see who owned and who occupied the property then.

Even if your house was not built before c 1850 you can still find out what the land your house is on was used for and who owned it.

Some useful websites include: Researching Historic Buildings in the British Isles and National Archives guide to house history

Searching for a Person

The tithe apportionments will show you who occupied and who owned the plots shown on the tithe map. About 175,000 plots of land are recorded on this website. You can search across the county, or narrow your search by parish or township. Because the maps were made between the late 1830s and the early 1850s they can also be used alongside such sources as the 1841 and 1851 census.

Searching

You have two options; the Quick Search option and the Advanced Search option. You can use the Quick Search directly from the homepage [LINK] or you can access it from the Twin Maps page {LINK}

Quick Search option

Your search results will appear below the search. Help on carrying out a search can be found by clicking the ‘Useful tips for names’ link.

The search results will show the township, parish, plot number, land owner, occupier(s), plot name, land use and acreage. In the far right hand column you will see a link to ‘Map’. Clicking on this link will take you to the relevant map, with the plot highlighted in yellow.

Advanced Search option

You can get to this via the Search All Tithe Apportionments button on the Maps page. The search offers more options. You can specify whether you want to search for a land owner or occupier, and you can narrow your search by township or parish.

As for the Quick Search, your search results will appear below the search. Help on carrying out a search can be found by clicking the ‘Show examples’ link.

Remember

Not everybody is recorded. Children, for example, are missing altogether, unless land is held in trust on their behalf. Only one family member per plot is generally mentioned.
Only property subject to tithe is included. This excludes many urban areas, for example, including much of central Chester, Congleton and Northwich. This is because in most urban areas tithes had been commuted prior to the Tithe Commutation Act or were not subject to tithe as they were not productive.

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What if I Want a Copy?

Print View

Use the Print View function on the maps page to obtain a free copy.

High quality reproductions

Copies of whole tithe maps

Please bear in mind that many tithe maps are very large. It is very likely that an A4, A3 or even A2 print of a whole map will be too small to allow you to see the map in detail. If you want a copy of a whole map it may be best to order a digital image for viewing on the screen of your PC or laptop. There are also some maps which are so large that they have been captured digitally as two images. Please contact us for advice.

Copies of sections of a tithe map

If you want to order a section of a map please give us as much detail as possible. This helps us to identify the correct area. The grid reference (given in the 'Centred on' pane on the maps page) is helpful, as are landmarks at the edge of the area you want copied. Please contact us for advice if you have any questions.

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Charges

Printed colour copies:

Plain Paper
Plain Paper
A4	£6.00
A3	£7.00
A2	£10.00
A1 and Larger	£25.00

Photographic paper
Photographic Paper
A4	£7.00
A3	£8.00
A2	£15.00
A1 and Larger	£35.00

Digital copies on CD or, where file size permits, as an email attachment:

First image - £5.00
Each subsequent image - £2.50

Ordering

If you have any queries please contact Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Service.

You can order online via our online shop
Alternatively you can pay by sterling cheque, made payable to Cheshire West and Chester Council, and posted to:

Cheshire Record Office
Duke Street
Chester
CH1 1RL

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FAQs

How do I move the maps around?

You can move the maps around using your mouse. Move the cursor over either of the map panes and a hand icon will appear. You can then use the mouse to click and 'drag' the maps around.

How do I see a tithe apportionment for a whole township?

To view the tithe apportionment for a whole township, use the 'Place Search' option. Select the township from the drop-down list.

Can I search by plot number?

To see the details (owner, occupier, etc) from the tithe apportionment for a particular plot, use the 'Plot Details' tab above the right-hand pane. If you click on this tab, cross-hairs open in the left-hand pane, indicating the centre of the pane. The right-hand pane will show the details for the plot in the centre of the left-hand pane.

How do I find the date of a particular map?

The date of the map is always displayed in the 'Centred On' panel in the centre of the screen. The information in this panel (Grid Reference, Township, Parish, etc) changes as you move around the county.

Why isn't the whole of the Warrington area covered?

Copies of tithe maps for those parts of Warrington Borough which were in Cheshire prior to 1974 are held at the Cheshire Record Office and are available on this website. Tithe maps for those parts of the Borough which were in Lancashire up to 1974 are held at the Lancashire Record Office, but Cheshire Record Office is fortunate enough to have copies of the tithe maps for Warrington, Burtonwood, Poulton with Fearnhead, Rixton cum Glazebrook and Woolston with Martinscroft; these are all available on this website.

Why are some parts of the county missing?

Some townships had no tithe map made. This was usually because the township had been monastic land or was a royal forest, neither of which were subject to tithe.

Are there any later tithe maps I could see?

Unfortunately not. Just one tithe map for each township is available.

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