Aughton.info

Pre-Dissolution

Ellerton Priory was granted the church and rectory of Aughton, by the Del Hay family, in the early 13th century. Before then, the church of Ellerton  was a chapel of Aughton. In 1230, the corn tithe of Laytham and the tithes of Willitoft were granted to Mr. Gentilius, clerk, vicar of Aughton, with the assent of Roger de Thirkleby, the rector of Aughton, and Roger Hay, the patron.

The Prior and Convent of Ellerton held the tithes of Laytham, appurtenant to the rectory of Aughton, until the Dissolution.

Post-Dissolution

The Lands and Spiritualia of the dissolved priory were listed shortly after the Dissolution (22 April 1538 - 21 April 1540) in the Ministers' and Receivers' Accounts (SC 6/HenVIII/4560) and included: 

m.1

Rents and farms, including a grange with tithes of hay and hemp in Lathome

m.4.

Sprititualia:

Farms of tithes belonging to the chapel of Lathome.

Tithes belonging to Latham Grange

The 'grange with tithes of hay and hemp in Lathome', listed in membrane 1 above, was granted by the crown, by exchange, and in fee simple, to John Aske in April 33 Henry VIII (1542), [L&P Hen VIII, Vol 17, g. 283 (8)].

Tithes belonging to the chapel of Latham

The tithes pertaining to the chapel of Latham, listed in membrane 4 above, were retained by the crown for a time, during which several leases were made:

24 Sep 1585: For 21 years, to John Rotsey, tithes appurtenant to the chapel of Lathome, Yorks, (in tenure of Richard Aske, late of the priory of Ellerton)

4 Jun 1596: For 21 years, to Robert Bell, of all tithes of grain, wool, lambs and other small tithes, oblations and privy tithes pertaining to the chapel of Latham. Yorks, (formerly in the tenure of Robert Aske, and late of the priory of Ellerton), yearly rent £3 13s 4d. For £3 13s 4d paid at the Exchequer.

The tithes of grain, wool, lambs and other small tithes, oblations and privy tithes pertaining to the chapel of Latham were eventually sold, in January, 1599/1600, in fee simple, to Miles Sandys of Cleyberry, Essex, and Edward Rodes of London (for them and the heirs of Miles), of lands [named, with tenants and details given and yearly rents stated]. Value (5) £3 13s 4d, with reservation of all advowsons.

On the 26th October, 1609, Sir Miles Sandys of Streateham in the Isle of Ely, and his servant Edwarde Rhodes gentleman, sold to Robert Hynsley, John Hynsley and Richard Fawcett of Latham yeoman, the tithes of corn, grain, lambs and wool and other small tithes of the chapel of Latham, parcel of the Rectory of Aughton. Granted originally to Sir Miles by Letters Patent of Queen Elizabeth 29 Jan 1599/1600 [ERRO: DDX13/1].

Robert Hynsley, in turn, in 1613/4, sold the tithes of the chapel of Latham to Henry Aikroid, gentleman [Feet of Fines, Stuart Period, Vol 1].

Tithe Commutation

The main records for tithe commutation under the Tithe Act of 1836 are the Tithe File, Apportionment, and Map.

Tithe File

IR 18/11654

The tithes file contains all the correspondence and meeting minutes that the Commissioners generated in discovering to what extent commutation had already taken place. The Laytham file is unusually full and is all the more surprising given that the files had been heavily ‘weeded’ in the early twentieth century.

It contains four letters from Charles Howard, the Assistant Tithe Commissioner, to the Tithe Commissioners:

24th April, 1841

Howard attended the meeting on the 22nd Feb last for the pupose of awarding the Rent Charge in lieu of tithes. All the tithes of this topwnship belong to R. N. Nottingham as Improprietor.

About 441 acres are subject to all tithes and have invariably taken in kind. Contradictory accounts of the witnesses as to the value of the tithes, but agree on the state of cultivation. Agreement also on the quantities of grain sown during the last 7 years. The produce was sold at either York or Howden

During the years of average no small tithes were collected, and the Improprietor filed a bill in Chancery, and the tenants paid the small tithes to prevent a law suit.

There are only 4 farms, 50 acres of grass land and 390 acres of arable land. In addition the Improprietor has the tithes of hay, hemp and line over 207 acres belonging to Sir Bethel Coddrington. The residue of the land of about 700 acres are stated to be tithe-free by prescription, but this is disputed, but can be resolved at the appeal.

Rent Charge

	£	s.	d.
Wheat	45	18	0
Oats	27	0	0
Meadow	9	0	0
Subtotal	81	18	0
Deduct 10% for collection	8	3	9
Subtotal	73	14	3
Add for small tithes	10	0	0
Add for Hay, Hemp and Line	1	0	0
Total Rent Charge	84	14	3

Value of straw not worth the expense of collection

2nd June, 1841

Attended the meeting held on the 27th May last for hearing objections to the award of Rent Charge

Thomas Gillah certified that the Copy Award was deposited at his house in Laytham and notices posted on his house and on the door of the Parish Church, and on the place of meeting on the 26th April last.

Mr. Blanchard of York, barrister, appeared for the Impropietor, who was also present, with his solicitor, Mr. Davies, to Appeal against the amount of the Rent Charge.

Witnesses: Robinson, Hatfield, Thorpe, Precious and Thomas Heron (a new witness) who assisted in tithing in 1835. James Gowthorpe, (another new witness).

Wheat was sold in Howden market, but corn more usually at York, or Sutton Mills, or Cottingwith.

Revised Award

	£	s.	d.
Wheat	47	12	0
Oats	36	0	0
Subtotal	83	12	0
Deduct 10% for collection	8	7	2
Subtotal	75	4	10
Add for small tithes	9	9	8
Add for Hay, Hemp and Line	1	0	0
Total Rent Charge	85	14	6
Previous Rent Charge Awarded	84	14	3
Difference	1	0	3

Simeon Webster had been produced at the earlier meeting as a highly respected Land Valuer.

3rd November, 1841

Attended the meeting held 29th October last, to hear objections to the award. No person attended except the vicar, Mr. Earle, who stated that he deposited both awards at the house of Robert Maltby, Innkeeper in Aughton and affixed notices on his door and the door of the parish church, on the 8th October last. However, I inspected the notices and the place of the meeting had not been filled in.

I have encountered numerous cases of irregularities which have occurred to me when the papers are entrusted to the maangement of a country clergyman, who has no interest in the tuthes (suggests the use of a solicitor in future).

25th October, 1845

Attended meeting held the 24th last for hearing objections. Notices were proved to have been affixed and the award deposited on the 3rd Inst.

Parties Present:

R. N. Nottingham, the titheowner

Mr. Warram, tenant to Mr. Allenby of Tadcaster

John Lowther, tenant to the successors of the late Sir B. Codrington (at present, but the farm sold to Mr----)

Thomas Vause and Mr. Botterell, tenants to the successors of the late Sir B. Codrington.

I tried to get the parties to agree, but without success. Mr. Nottingham rejected all offers, his object is clearly to extort a higher Rent Charge, and he has taken out writs.

These were recent sales values:

283 acres sold to Mr. Allenby for £8,300

226 acres sold to Mr. Lloyd for £4,350

442 acres not yet sold, but Mr. Lloyd is highest bidder at £8,000

Total 951 acres at £20, 650, or an average of £22/acre

Case now at crisis, with no resolution, and the writs will proceed after Wednesday.

Tithe Apportionment

IR 29/41/123

The tithe apportionment normally begins with a copy of the Tithe Award, and the confirmation of Tithe Award for Laytham was dated 30 June 1843.

Briefly, it stated that Charles Howard, an Assistant Tithe Commissioner, had been appointed to ascertain and award the rent-charge in lieu of tithes for the township of Laytham.

Howard had several meetings with the landowners and titheowner and considered all the ‘allegations and proofs’ submitted to him, and estimated that the amount of land in Laytham that was subject to the payment of tithes amounted to 659 acres, 3 roods and 17 perches, of which 571 acres and 28 perches consisted of arable land, and the remaining 88 acres, 2 roods and 29 perches comprised meadow or pasture.

The residue of the land in Laytham, some 706 acres, were exempt from tithe payments by prescription of other lawful means, other than and except the tithes of hay, hemp and line.

Howard had valued the annual rent-charge in lieu of tithes at £95, and found that Robert Nottingham Nottingham of Laytham, gent, was the Improprietor of all the tithes, both great and small.

The apportionment then provided a schedule of the landowners and occupiers who were liable to the payment of tithes of all kinds, and those who were liable to the payment of tithes on only hay, hemp and line.

Schedule A, specifying the titheable lands of Laytham which are subject to payment of all manner of tithes in kind:

Land Owner	Occupiers	A	R	P
Representatives of the late Sir Bethell Coddrington Bart.	John Vause	99	3	38
	John Lowther	166	1	32
	Thomas Hatfield	133	1	2
	Thomas Gillah	38	3	28
	George Hunter	2	3	26
	Total	441	2	6

Schedule B, specifying the titheable lands of Laytham which are subject to payment of the tithes of hay, hemp and line only:

Land Owner	Occupiers	A	R	P
Representatives of the late Sir Bethell Coddrington Bart.	John Vause	39	2	12
	John Lowther	13	3	8
	Thomas Hatfield	136	3	35
	Thomas Gillah	16	1	36
James Brabbs	Himself	11	2	0
	Total	218	1	11

There then followed a schedule of all the landowners and occupiers of land, the field names and reference to the tithe map, the state of cultivation, the area, and the amount of rentcharge apportioned to the land.

Land Owner	Occupiers	A	R	P
John Allenby	George Hunter	2	3	36
	Matthias Wharram	167	0	19
John Brabbs	Himself	9	3	29
George Lloyd, esq.	John Botterill	128	0	23
	John Lowther	151	0	6
	William Tanfield	0	3	18
	Charles + Thomas Vause	197	1	30
	Total	657	2	1

The Apportionment Schedule then follows. The Apportionment Schedule has columns for the Landowner, the Occupier, Number Pertaining to the Plan (key to the Tithe Map), Name and Description of Premises (fortunately this column is quite full, with homesteads and orchards listed, and field names), State of Cultivation, Quantities in Stute Measure, Amount of Rent-Charge Apportioned.

To keep the table to a manageable size I have included only the Landowners, Occuppiers, Key (to the Tithe Map), and Acreage. The field names can be in a separate table under the Land tab, Field Names.

Landowner	Occupiers	Key	A	R	P
Allenby, John	Hunter, George	28, 28a	2	3	36
	Wharram, Matthias	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5a, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 27	167	0	19
Brabbs, John	Himself	79, 80	9	3	29
Lloyd, George esq.	Botterill, John	18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37	128	0	23
	Lowther, John	27, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78	151	0	6
	Tanfield, William	20	0	3	18
	Vause, Charles + Vause, Thomas	29, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72	197	1	30

Tithe Map

IR 30/41/123