- PENNY ELLIS -
THORALBY
THROUGH TIME
Bishopdale Tithe Award
and Map, 1839
(The National Archives: IR 29/42/41 and IR 30/42/41 )
[This section is under construction]
The present day township comprises 4,728 acres. There has been no village in the township since Croxby became depopulated in the Middle Ages, since when the township boundaries have changed, placing the remains of the village in Thoralby township. The scattered farms and houses that make up Bishopdale, today are Dale Head, Howgill, Kidstones, Longridge, Newhouse, The Rookery (Coach House), Scar Top, Smelter, Myres Garth, Ribba Hall, Underscarr, The Old School House, Newhouse Gill and Dalefoot. For a map showing the whole township see the section Four Townships.
Below is a section of the 1839 Tithe Map for Bishopdale, showing the farms east to west: New House Gill, Scar Top, New Houses [later known as The Rookery], West New Houses, Ribba Hall, Myres Garth, Smelter and Long Riggs [Long Ridge]. The School House is also labelled, showing there was a school before 1839.
Below the map is a transcription of the tithe award in a searchable table that shows owners and occupiers of property and land in 1839. Each field is listed by name together with its size and whether it was arable, meadow or pasture. There is also a table showing the crops grown - oats, barley and wheat - as there was still some arable land in the township.
Click on the map to enlarge it, then click on the two arrows at the top left corner to show the image full-screen size.
The above Tithe map, reproduced courtesy of the National Archives: Reference no: TNA IR 30/42/41. It shows a section of Bishopdale from New House Gill in the East to Long Riggs in the west. See the 1841 census for Bishopdale for the occupations of all the residents.
The following is a transcription of the introduction to the Tithe Commutation Assessment for Bishopdale produced in 1839, scroll down to view the transcript of the tithe award in tabular and searchable form:
"p. 1 APPORTIONMENT of the RENT-CHARGE in lieu of TITHES in the Township of Bishopdale in the County of York.
Whereas an Agreement for the COMMUTATION of TITHES in the Township of Bishopdale in the Parish of Aysgarth in the County of York was. on the Twenty ninth day of June in the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty nine, confirmed by the Tithe Commission for England and Wales, of which Agreement, the following is a Copy:-
An Agreement for the Commutation of the Tithes of the Township of Bishopdale on the Parish of Aysgarth in the County of York pursuant to the Act for the Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales made and execute at a Township Meeting of the Land Owners and Tithe Owners within the limits of the said Township duly called and holden in the said Township on the Twenty second day of August now last past and adjourned from time to time and now holden by adjournment according to the Provisions of the said Act on this thirty first day of October One thousand eight hundred and thirty eight by and between The Master Fellows and Scholars of Trinity College Cambridge Impropriate Rectors of the said Parish of Aysgarth and John Hutton and Christopher Other Esquires their Leeses of the said Impropriate Rectory under a Lease for the term of sixteen years from the date thereof in which a Rent of less than Two thirds of the clear yearly value of the premises comprised therein and reserved (and which said Master Fellows and Scholars as such Impropriate Rectors and the said John Hutton and Christopher Other their Leeses as aforesaid are entitled unto jointly Owners of all the Tithes of the said Township within the meaning of the said act) of the one part of the several persons Landowners within the said Township by whom or by whose agents duly authorised in that behalf this agreement is executed, and the Interest of which Land Owners in the Lands of the said Township is not less than two thirds of the Lands of the Township subject to Tithes of the other part.
The Township of Bishopdale aforesaid contains by estimation Four thousand and five hundred acres pf Land Statute Measure the whole of the Land is subject to the payment of Tithes (except as hereinto mentioned).
p.2 The estimated quantity in Statute Measure of Land subject to Tithes within the said Township which is now cultivated as Arable Meadow or Pasture Land or otherwise is as follows.
Arable Land Five Acres, Meadow or Pasture Land Four Thousand four hundred and seventy five acres.
There are Twenty Acres of Woodland in this Township which is free from Tithe by prescription."
The following is a Table showing the moduses or customary payments payable in lieu of the Tithes of Hay and adjustment of several Estate Farms and Lands in this Township.
The full Tithe Award showing land and property ownership can be found below this section.
"p. 3 The residue of the Lands in this Township not covered by the several Moduses or Customary Payments herein before mentioned are exempt from the payment of the Tithes of Hay and agistment by presumption.
The following Moduses or prescriptive or Customary Payments are payable in lieu of the following Tithes of the said Township.
There is due to the Tithe owners for the Tithes of Wool one fleece for every ten. If nine fleeces then one fleece is taken and one half penny is returned to the owner. If eight fleeces, then one fleece is taken and one penny is returned. If seven fleece one fleece is taken and three half pence are returned. If six fleeces half a fleeces is taken and one half penny is returned. If five fleeces, half a fleece exactly is taken. If under five fleeces one half penny is due for every fleece. If above ten fleeced, then one half penny is due for every fleece under five, and at fifteen fleeces one and a half fleeces and so on as before.
Lambs are titheable in like manner as wool with an allowance of one half penny for each Lamb under five to the Tithe Owners, and the return of one half penny for each Lamb under ten and above six to the Owner.
For every half Lamb there is due to the Tithe Owners one half penny for Ewe Milk, For a whole Lamb one penny and for as many as happened one penny per Lamb Ewe Milk and half Lamb.
There is due to the Tithe Owners for Tithes of Cows and Calves. One Calf for every ten, if nine calves then one Calf is taken and half penny is returned to the Owner. If eight calves, one calf is taken and one penny is returned. If seven Calves, one calf is taken and three half pence returned. If six Calves then half a calf is taken and one half penny is returned. If five Calves then half a calf is exactly taken. If under five Calves one half penny is due for each calf. If above ten Calves then half penny for each Calf under five is due to the Tithe Owners, and at fifteen Calves one half calf and a half and so on as before.
For every Cow and Calf kept between Michaelmas and Michaelmas there is due to the Tithe Owner, Cow Milk two pence and for a Geld Cow one penny Cow Milk, and for a Cow of the first Calf one penny for Milk.
Foals are Titheable in the same manner as Calves, with an allowance of one penny for each Foal under five to the Tithe Owners and the return of one half penny for each Foal under ten and above six to the owner.
There is due to the Tithe Owners at Michaelmas Holy Bread one half penny and Garth one penny and Mortuaries according to the Statute.
p. 4 Bees are Titheable one penny each swarm till five and at five swarms, half a swarm at six swarms half a swarm, and one half penny, at seven swarms one swarm and three half pence are returned to the owner, at eight swarms, one swarm and one penny is returned, at nine swarm and one half penny is returned and at ten swarms one swarm and so on.
Every Inhabitant within the said Township above the age of sixteen years stands charegeable with the payment of the sum of two pence at Easter in the nature of Oblations.
And it is hereby agreed that the annual sum of seventy six pounds and fifteen shillings by way of Rent Charge (subject to the provisions of the said act) shall be paid to the said John Hutton and Christopher Other their executors administrators or assigns during the continuance of their said Lease and after the determination thereof to the said Master Fellows and Scholars and their successors instead of the Tithes of the Lands of the said Township subject to Tithes and instead of all Moduses and Corn positions real and prescriptive and Customary Payments in lieu thereof and also instead of all Easter offerings and of the said Customary Payments of Holy Bread one half penny and Garth one penny payable at Michaelmas.
And it is further agreed that the Lands included in this agreement shall be discharged from Tithes except as excepted in the said act from the first day of January next preceding the confirmation of the apportionment of the Rent Charge herein before agreed on and that the first payment of the said Rent charge shall be made or be recoverable on the expiration of Six Calendar Months from the time from which the said Lands are discharged from the payment of Tithes.
In witness whereof the said parties to this agreement or their agents in that behalf duly authorised in their names and on their behalf have subscribed and set their respective hands and seals at the place and time in that behalf above written.
p. 5 Now I Anthony Reed of Stockton upon Tees in the County of Durham Land Surveyor having duly been appointed Valuer to apportion the total Sum agreed to be paid by way of Rent Charge in lieu of Tithes, amongst the several Lands of the said Township of Bishopdale in the Parish of Aysgarth
DO HEREBY apportion the Rent Charge as follows: -
GROSS RENT CHARGE payable to the Titheowners in lieu of Tithes for the Township of Bishopdale in the County of York
Seventy Six Pounds Fifteen Shillings
Value in Imperial Bushes and Decimal Parts of an Imperial Bushel of Wheat, Barley, and Oats."
Below is a transcript of the tithe award in tabular and searchable form. The 'Search' box at the top right-hand corner can be used to find a surname, house name, field name or other element. Present day house names are in brackets e.g. [Long Ridge].
SUMMARY