Ireland Tithe Applotment Books, 1824-1855

What is in This Collection?

This collection includes records between 1824 and 1855 of Tithe Applotments (a type of tax record). Tithes were taxes imposed upon land owners, tenant farmers, or anyone who occupied agricultural lands. These taxes were paid to the Church of Ireland to support the church. The books identified those who paid the tithes and the acreage they managed.

In 1823, the Tithe Composition Act was passed in Ireland, requiring this tax. As a result of it, agricultural land had to be valued. The law appointed commissioners to determine the land value for each parish in each county in Ireland. Once the value was established, whoever occupied the agricultural land was expected to pay it. The tax was based on the average price of wheat and oats for the seven years before 1823. Rates were also affected by the quality of the land. Therefore, the tax was not assessed equally on all land.

The law caused great resentment by those who were not members of the Church of Ireland. The tax was subsequently abolished in 1869.

The books were first held by the Irish Land Commission. In the 1940s, they were transferred to the Public Record Office of Ireland and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. About 40% of the Heads of Household population is recorded in these books.

The books are either handwritten on preprinted pages or handwritten using the same format as the preprinted pages.

General Information About These Records

Because most pre-1901 census records were destroyed after the Irish Civil War bombing on 30 June 1922 (when a massive explosion and fire demolished the building and the other records), the Tithe Applotment Books are a valuable genealogical collection. Although the books do not have complete lists of residents (only the head of household), they are the only countrywide survey for the time period that survives.

The information in these records verifies residency for heads of households and how long they lived in places.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  1827 Tithe Compensation

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  Applotment example 1

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  1833 Applotment example 2

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  Applotment example 3