Agricultural History Review, Volume 52 Part 2 (2004), p. 212

Glebe terriers contain valuable information on parochial and agricultural history, and their publication provides an admirable project for local record societies. This useful volume presents in condensed form material from terriers for 250 Wiltshire parishes between 1588 and 1827, with at least three terriers compiled at different times for most parishes. The terriers describe in detail the property belonging to the incumbent of each parish, including glebe land, the parsonage house, tithes, offerings, endowments and all other sources of income. They list parish charities, rents from cottages, tithes on mills, fees for marriage and burial, payments for occasional sermons or prayers, and often give details of churches and churchyards. The descriptions of parsonage houses illustrate the rising prosperity of incumbents and chronicle the change from small timber-framed, thatched houses to larger brick-built premises with tiled roofs. Above all, the terriers are a fruitful source for agricultural history. The glebe lands were often intermixed with those of parishioners, the parson sharing common rights with his neighbours, and the terriers illustrate the complexity of common field organization. For example, at Sutton Mandeville in 1609 in addition to ‘all manner of tithes’, the parson had 16½ acres of arable land in more than 20 plots in the three fields. At Yatton Keynell in 1671 the wealthy incumbent possessed extensive meadow, pasture and ‘New Inclosures’ and had 30 acres of arable in the common fields; by 1783 most of this arable land had been inclosed. The terriers contain much information on the management of the fields and meadows, grazing rights, the progress of inclosures, and the regulation and folding of common sheep flocks.

Naturally, the principal emphasis is on tithes, methods of payment and the collection of perishable produce such as milk, eggs and fruit. Often described in detail is the ‘modus’ or complex agreement made in each parish for tithes on livestock and their offspring which could seldom be conveniently divided into tenths. Some of the local tithe customs were extremely complex, and incumbents evidently had a difficult choice between diminishing their income and that of their successors, or alienating members of their flock by insisting on their rights or invoking the powers of the ecclesiastical courts. Some incumbents accepted money payments, others refused or reverted to taking tithes in kind, as at Lydiard Tregoze in 1783 where the rector objected to a previous agreement. Other problems arose because of a change in land use from pasture to arable, since tithes on livestock were often payable to the vicar, whereas tithe on corn might be claimed by a lay rector. The possibilities for conflict were especially numerous in the low-lying pasture lands of north Wiltshire. Here livestock was over wintered or was fattened for short periods before being driven to distant markets. For these beasts incumbents were entitled to receive ‘agistment’ money, but it was almost impossible for them to keep track of livestock movements. The work of drovers is evident, for example, at Stratton St Margaret in 1705 where ‘Welch beasts’ are specifically mentioned.

As well as the tithes on corn and livestock there are numerous references to fruit, garden crops, herbs, poultry and eggs. Tithes were paid on conies at Aldbourne, on swans, pigeons and bees at Fisherton Delamere, on bees and honey at Tisbury, on geese, turkeys, and ‘nurseries of fruit’ at Trowbridge, on fish caught in the Avon at Britford and on eels at Great Wishford. At Ludgershall in 1786 tithes on roots, potatoes, and turnips are mentioned. In several terriers there are references to flax, hemp, nuts, apples, pears, plums and venison. In addition, there is much information on many aspects of parish life, ranging from the status and income of the clergy to church architecture and furnishings, and from parochial charities to customs, rogationtide processions and mills. Future researchers will find much of interest and value in this informative volume.