A history of tithes

This volume offers a clear‑sighted look at the origins and evolution of tithes in medieval England and Wales, tracing how early kings and church officials first linked a tenth of land or produce to the clergy. By grounding the story in surviving charters and legal codes, the author shows how seemingly simple tax ideas were shaped by power, politics, and regional disputes. Readers are guided through the tangled early records without needing prior expertise in ecclesiastical law.

Drawing heavily on manuscript research from the British Museum and other archives, the book confronts longstanding claims made by earlier scholars, especially the influential arguments of Lord Selborne. It explains, in plain language, why some‑times‑cited “tripartite” divisions of tithes are later inventions rather than authentic medieval practice. The careful analysis of negative evidence and misplaced inferences makes the work a compelling corrective to older histories.

For anyone curious about how church finances were justified, contested, and recorded over centuries, this study delivers a thoughtful, well‑documented narrative that brings the legal and social dimensions of tithes to life.