Tithe Barns

As family historians we’re all too familar with the idea of our ancestors paying tithes to the church, the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836, which evolved payment of tithes from ‘in kind’ to cash, and the subsequent drawing up of the tithe maps and their associated field books, as the occupation and ownership of the land was assessed and plotted. This book takes us one excellent step further back in the past – on a trail to identify the tithe barns in which our ancestors’ agricultural taxes would once have been stored. Packed with photographs, the wide range of tithe barn buildings is remarkable to see; some miniature in the extreme, and others on a daunting scale, tiny windows, under a vast steeply pitched roof. The author carefully makes the point that a true tithe barn must not be confused with just ‘A. N. Other’ medieval barn, abbey barn or great barn. He goes on to advise us how to look for place naming clues and documentary evidence in order to spot, and visit, the sites of former tithe barns as well as tithe barns themselves still standing to this day – while a number are in private hands others have been restored and are currently in such use as restaurants or galleries.coverage of tithe barns in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England is included, though the examples for Scotland are rare in the extreme, while many of those for the large towns in England suffered at the hands of 20th century developers. • Published by Amberley Books in paperback at £15.99. ISBN: 9781445692852. (Also available in Kindle Kobo and ibook) www.amberley-books.com HT