What are tithes? 

 A 'tithe' was a form of tax which people in England and other Christian countries had to pay to the church/clergy, and amounted to approximately one-tenth of their annual produce or earnings. The word is derived from the Old English term 'teogoþa', meaning 'tenth'.

The concept was actually first mentioned in the Bible, hence why the practice prevailed for so many centuries after the European conversion to Christianity! The Biblical definition referred to making an 'offering' to God and his representatives on earth (i.e. the clergy).

Thanks to ordinary people paying their tithes, many humungous projects were undertaken, including the construction of some of the world's oldest and most ornate cathedrals.

As Christianity spread across Europe, the custom of tithing was vehemently opposed, particularly by the peasants; however, it was officially written into ecclesiastical legislation from the 6th century onwards, and enforced under secular law from the 8th century. In England, from the 10th century, the payment of tithes became even more rigorously enforced. There were dire consequences for anyone who refused to pay it, or simply could not afford to!

Believe it or not, tithes still existed in some form until 1936! However, new methods of taxation were created, so it didn't really make much difference to ordinary folk! In Germany, church-goers still have to pay a form of tithe, unless they formally renounce their faith.

In Ireland, public resentment fuelled an ongoing dispute between the people and the church, which became known as 'The Tithe Wars'; between 1830 and 1836, periods of 'sporadic violent episodes', along with 'mostly non-violent civil disobedience' kept the authorities very busy indeed!

In England, 'tithe maps' were drawn up, showing the boundaries of land ownership in each parish, along with the names of all land owners. This helped authorities to figure out how much each person was liable to pay.

Tithe maps for Bicester (as well as other places in Oxfordshire) can be found here: https://www.oxfordshirehistory.org.uk/public/maps/tithe/tithe-places-e-h.htm