C - I -- I ai o:.g b'j starving a1d ragged peasa'lts. foa..:i: ~:- cf 1823, +~+-hec:.

Transcription

1 . -. :,... ~. ',. foa..:i: ~:-.-. -'l::~.... :' ~ - ---',.... of +}-lp '- ~ Tithe Comoosition Act re:re:ned higr,ly UT1J:>Jpular. A cartoon issuec.,.-..ln cf 1823, +~+-hec:. \,..!. \,....l... S10'~'>'S c.. well-fed c le rgymc:... rj, backed Uf' by a niled. ',...~ - -0 C - I -- I ai o:.g b'j starving a1d ragged peasa'lts ~- Y>1ss 2 / 142). - \-..,... + C:: '-..1 L f'.-, T<~ e....;. \... ' 1 1.-'..::; Q 'J - PREPARED BY - SUSA NNE GUNN JAC!NTA KING MARY o'reilly OCTOBER 1988

2 TITHE APPLOTI1ENT BOOKS The Tithe Composition Applotment Books are surveys of land holdings carried out in every rural parish between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which each occupier was to pay in tithes, the tax on agricultural produce levied for the support -. of the established ch~rch. Prior to 1823 tithes had b~en collected according to a cumbersome and unpopular procedure, whereby an agent for the tithe-holder ~lent round each year to inspect the crops produced by every occupier and calculate the proportion of each crop that was to be paid in tithes. A Tithe Composition Act of 1823 attempted to reform the system by converting tithes into a single, fixed payment, and by regularising what was already the normal practice of making payments in money rather than in kind. Under the new system commissioners were appointed for each parish, to ascertain the amount and quality of the land held by each individual, and to calculate from this the tithes which should be paid. The new act did not end the unpopularity of tithes. But in the Tithe Applotment Books which recorded the findings of these commissioners it created a major source of information for later historians. The extract from the Tithe Applotment Book for the parish of Drung, Co. Cavan (opposite) illustrates some of the different types of information which may be obtained for this source. The first, and most valuable', piece of information it provides is a list of the occupiers of land at the time the book was compiled in It is important to remember that this is not a complete list of the inhabitants of the parish. Since the co~missioners were concerned only with tithe-payers they would not generally have included cottiers, labourers holding land in conacre, or persons with no land at all. Once this has been recognised, however, the list of tithe-payers can throw much light on the structure of landholding in the area of which it relates. Thus we can see that in the townland of Lisgannon, there were 4 holdings of 14 Irish acres, one of Irish acres, 2 of 10 Irish acres, the rest were 9 Irish acres or less. It should be noted, that the Irish or plantation acre, equal to 1.6 statute acres is used. This detailed r'~ t u rn of the size of the holding, the name of occupiers, and the amount to be paid in t :ithes, is found in all but a very few of the Tithe Applotment Books. The amount. of i nf orma tion given on other topics is more uneven. Some Applotment Books give no further details of any kind, while others pr ovide information on a variety of topics. Th~ Applotment Books for Drung, for example, divides the land held by each tenant into four grades, according to quality, indicates the area of each holding, and also records the amount paid by each tenant, to the Vicar and the Earl.

3 TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOKS The Tithe Composition Applotment Books are surveys of land holdings carried out in every rural parish between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which each occupier was to pay in tithes, the tax on agricultural produce levied for the support of the established church. Prior to 1823 tithes had b~en collected according to a cumbersome and unpopular procedure, whereby an agent for the tithe-holder ~lent round each year to inspect the crops produced by every occupier and calculate the proportion of each crop that was to be paid in tithes. A Tithe Composition Act of 1823 attempted to reform the system by converting tithes into a single, fixed payment, and by regularising what was already the normal practice of making payments in money rather than in kind. Under the new system commissioners were appointed for each parish, to ascertain the amount and quality of the land held by each individual, and to calculate from this the tithes which should be paid. The new act did not end the unpopularity of tithes. But in the Tithe Applotment Books which recorded the findings of these commissioners it created a major source of information for later historians. The extract from the Tithe Applotment Book for the parish of Drung, Co. Cavan (opposite) illustrates some of the different types of information which may be obtained for this source~ The first, and most valuable, piece of information it provides is a list of the occupiers of land at the time the book was compiled in It is important to remember that this is not a complete list of the inhabitants of the parish. Since the co~missioners were concerned only with tithe-payers they would not generally have included cottiers, labourers holding land in conacre, or persons with no land at all. Once this has been recognised, however, the list of tithe-payers can throw much light on the structure of landholding in the area of which it relates. Thus we can see that in the townland of Lisgannon, there were 4 holdings of 14 Irish acres, one of Irish acres, 2 of 10 Irish acres, the rest wer..e 9 Irish acres or less. It should be noted~ that the Irish or plantation acre, equal to 1.6 statute acres is used. I This detailed return of the SlZe of the holding, the name of occupiers, and the amount to be paid in t ithes, is found in all but a very few of the Tithe Applotment Books. The amount. of informati on given on other topics is more uneve. Some Applotment Books glve no further details of any kind, while others provide information on a variety of topics. Th~ Applotment Books for Drung, for example, di,ides the land held by each tenant into four grades, according to quality, indicates the area of each holding, and also records the amount paid by each tenant, to the Vicar and the Earl.

4 Townlands are arranged alphabetically using spelling found in the original T.A.B. Where possible the vefsion'of the name as found in Griffiths Valuation is given in brackets sic. Aughriskillid (Agharaskilly). Some townland names were unclear and have only the T.A:B. spelling listed. Sub-denominations of townlands where known have beeh identified. The Tithe Applotment Books located in the local history section of Cavan County Library have been given new pagination. The page number refers to these books only. The index would be of no use in pursuing the originals. Every care has been taken to avoid errors. The Parish of Kinawley has been omitted from the index because no occupiers of the land are listed. A number of parishes cross the county boundaries, e.g. Enniskeen; the Griffith's Valuation spelling has not been indentified for townlands in such cases. AHlfuali n....,

5 PARISHES Annagelliffe Page Annagh Moybolge & Baileborough Page ~. 27. Scrabby Baileborough Ballintemple Shercock 29. Templeport & Glangevlin OS. Ballymachugh ' Tom Regan (Ballyconnell) Castlecor & Kilbride Urney Castlerahan 08. Castletara 09. Crosserlough 10. Denn. Drumgoon 12. Drumlane 13. Drumlummin 14. Drung 15. Enniskeen 16. Kildallan 17. Killeshandra 18. Killinagh 19. Killinkere & Mu1lagh Killsherdeny (Kill Kildrumsherdan) 21. Kilmore 22. Knock bride 23. Laragh 24. Lavey 25. Lurgan & t1unterconnaught I!