Reflections: 1841 tithe map which charts New Milton's history

Both the map and the book contain a wealth of information, and when cross referenced with the 1841 census, creates a detailed picture of our local communities at that time.

Traditionally, tithes were one tenth of a farmer’s produce which was given as a form of alms to help support the local rector and church. This annual payment dated back to the early Middle Ages. The produce was stored in tithe barns on church land. The remains of a once enormous tithe barn can be seen at St Leonard’s, near Beaulieu.

After the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1541, some church land passed into the hands of private landowners and the tithes were paid to them. Tithe payments were often subject to local custom and practice. By the beginning of the 19th century there was much confusion regarding how tithes should be paid and also increasing resentment against them.

As Britain became more industrialised, agricultural workers left the countryside and moved into urban areas working in factories. They no longer contributed their percentage to tithe payments. There was a perception among the farming community that the church shared none of the risks, or made any investment into farming but would always take 10% of the profit.

The church was seen to be more interested in accumulating personal wealth than in tending to the needs of their parishioners. This view was perhaps somewhat harsh as many tithes were being paid to landowners who were not connected to the church.

In 1830 there was severe disorder in rural areas. Known as the ‘Captain Swing riots’, these spread from Kent across the south-eastern part of the country and into Hampshire. Property belonging to wealthy landowners, along with farm machinery, was destroyed, as were some poor houses.

In November 1830 rioting took place in the Southampton area and at Fawley, Exbury, Ringwood and Fordingbridge. Some of the smaller-scale farmers encouraged their labourers to join the riots by telling them they could have had a higher wage if it were not for the iniquitous 10% of profit that had to be paid as a tithe each year. This made the clergy the most unpopular of the landowning classes.

The government realised that tithes were a major cause of rural discontent and brought in legislation to change it. The Tithe Act of August 1836 ended the feudal obligation of supporting the church with alms by converting the produce into a smaller index-linked cash payment.

Historian Dr Roger JP Kain wrote that “the church was in effect pensioned off with an annuity”. He went on to explain that the amount of money required for tithe payments varied according to the price of grain crops. This meant that the clergyman’s income would keep pace with inflation, and the financial burden on the farmer would be reduced in times of low crop prices.

A Tithe Commission was created. Voluntary tithe payments were encouraged, but where these could not be agreed, payments were imposed by the commission. An assistant commissioner was sent out to every parish to meet with the landowners and tenants, to gather evidence and hear appeals. Once agreement was reached, the tithe district was mapped by surveyors.

A valuer would work out the total amount of tithe payments which must be made by each parish, and then assess how that sum should be split between the individual landowners or tenants. The tithe book for Milton Parish shows that the perpetual curate was granted £31 per annum, worth £2,545 today. The largest recipient was the Reverend John Smith, who was granted £290 per year, which is worth £23,810 today.

Three sets of documents were created. The first two were the map and the tithe apportionment record, which listed who owned or leased a parcel of land, the name of the plot, what the land was used for, the size of the plot and its value in terms of tithes. The third document was the tithe survey, which detailed how the process was carried out in a particular parish, including records of meetings.

Three sets of tithe documents were drawn up. One was kept by the commissioners and are now held by the National Archive. A second set was held by the local church and the third set by the parish. These are usually now held in the county record office.

The map, often at a scale of between 12 and 25 inches to the mile, shows the boundaries of every field, hedgerow, woodland, watercourses or streams, buildings and gardens. In some cases, the map lists milestones and other features, some of which survive today. Each plot on the map is numbered, which identifies the reference in the tithe apportionment book. Using these documents, researchers can gain a detailed insight into the use of the land, place names, and link individuals to property.

Using a section of the 1841 tithe map around Milton village, we can see that the numbering of each plot starts with No.1 at the church. No.2 is where the car park of the Wheatsheaf Inn is situated today. This plot is listed as two tenements and gardens. They were owned by John Brownen but occupied by Henry Self and Matthew Billet. The size of the plot was measured as being 27 perches. Land measurements for the tithe apportionments were recorded in acres, roods and perches. One acre is 4,840 square yards. One rood is 1,210 square yards. One perch is 30.25 square yards.

Plot three on the tithe map is listed as being the “Wheatsheaf Inn, yard, garden and buildings”. It was one rood, 12 perches in size, and the annual tithe payment was nine pence. This was also owned by Mr Brownen and occupied by him. Brownen owned plot four next door, which is listed as “house, garden, and smith’s shop”. The occupiers were Charles Brownen and Elizabeth Brixey.

The apportionment book lists the properties and land by the names of the owners rather than in order of plot numbers. The names are not always in alphabetical order and require some careful reading before finding the correct entry. It is recorded that Brownen also owned the “Poor House” and garden at plot nine. That was divided into four tenements, three of which were occupied by John Harding, William Sanders and John Axford. The total tithe payment required from these three occupants was one shilling and twopence.

Plot five is shown as the George Inn, house and gardens. It was owned by William Clark but occupied by John Randell. The Randell family lived in the cottage at plot 19. The head of the household was James Randall, a shoemaker. Another son, George, who emigrated to Australia along with his Bransgore-born wife, became a successful businessman and was the mayor of Perth.

John Pack owned and occupied plot six, which is described as a house, garden and smith’s shop. He also owned plot seven, which is listed as being two perches, 36 rood in size and used for arable cultivation. The documents also record that he owned a stable in Barton, a meadow at Chewton and a house, garden and buildings in New Town, now Highcliffe.

Plot eight appears to be attached to the poor house. It was listed as a house and garden (two tenements). It was shown as being owned by a James Olding and occupied by him and Stephen Hayward. Potentially, that might mean that in 1840 some six families were living in the poor house. It should be noted that by this date the poor of the parish were being accommodated in the Lymington Union Workhouse, which had opened two years previously and had a capacity to house 270 people. No.10, called “Home Plot” was also owned by James Olding and was used for arable purposes.

No.11 is shown as a “Wheeler’s Shop” and was owned by William Cox but occupied by Joseph Cox. No.12 is listed as three tenements and gardens, one rood, 35 perches in size. This was also owned by William Cox but occupied by Mary Gould, Thomas Gould and Sarah Bungay. The 1872 OS map shows a well in the garden.

Plot 13 is recorded as being two tenements and garden owned by Stephen Best but occupied by George Coombe and William Randall. These two cottages have survived and are occupied today in Old Milton Road.

The tithe map is damaged in the area of plot 14, however, the apportionment book states this was a house and garden owned by William Dawkins but occupied by Mamus McCullum. This property also survives. It is interesting to note that today’s Hobart Road appears to follow the boundary line of plots 62 named Lower Durland, 63 called Upper Durland and 64 Furze Croft.

This leads to Gore Road. Gore is derived from ‘gara’, a Saxon word for a triangle of land. The triangular shape of the field is immediately obvious on the tithe map. Looking west along Gore Road the various ponds around the Gore Farm area are visible. When houses were built on this site a few years ago, significant flood prevention work was required by the developers.

Moving back to the centre of the village, plot 16 located on a triangle of land opposite what is now the Forest Art Centre was the site of the village school. This had first opened in 1836. Mr James Holding was the teacher and he was assisted by his sister. Both were paid £15 each.

The Forest Arts Centre was once plot 17, owned by John Bursey Esq, in the form of a leasehold from the wardens, fellows and clerks of St Mary’s College, Winchester. The college was a significant landowner in Milton parish, with most of Fernhill manor and several large fields in Barton belonging to them. Winchester College started to sell its assets in Milton from 1874 onwards.

John Bursey was also a major landowner in Milton, with 352 acres listed. He owned Milton Manor Farm at plots 34 to 40 and plot 46, a field called Home Ground which was 10 acres in size. Across the road from this field, a milestone is shown on the map which is still on the side of the road today.

The tithe map has a wealth of detail for a local historian. If the reader wanted to simply research their own house it would be easiest to view the map and apportionment book at the Hampshire Record Office. If a detailed study of the local parish was being contemplated, it would be worth purchasing a copy of the tithe map and documents on a CD-ROM from the online Hampshire Record Office shop at shop.hants.gov.uk/search?q=Tithe+Map

• Nick Saunders is a local historian and chairman of the Milton Heritage Society. He can be contacted via nick@miltonheritagesociety.co.uk or on 01425 618549.