Find Ancestors for Free – Use Tithe Records to Find Ancestors for Free
You can find ancestors for free using Tithe Records if they were of British or Irish origin. Agricultural workers from England, Wales and Ireland were required to pay tithes in order to help in the upkeep of local churches. This ancient form of taxation continued well into Victorian times (1837–1901), and constituted a payment of ten percent from monies gained from the sale of grain, vegetables, lumber and any animals and their products. Records were kept of these payments, and they can be used to find ancestors for free.
How to Find Ancestors for Free Using the Tithe Apportionments
Individual properties were assessed by a tithe Commission to establish how much they would be taxed. These assessments are known as the Tithe Apportionments, and can be helpful in your search to find ancestors. Free records can be found in county records offices throughout England and Wales, and some duplicates are kept in the British national Archives. Their usefulness is in that they name both the owners and the tenants of the taxed properties, and also provide a description of the property itself. Some can be found online, but if you want to find ancestors for free, you must know the name of the county that they lived in, or at least the general area so you can search the records of surrounding counties.