Missing Tithe Applotment Books. Antrim:

[KiwiRose]

Tithe Applotment Books 1823-1838: Antrim Parish, county Antrim


www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/antrim-parish.php

I wished to search for family in the Glenwhirry/Ballyeaston area of Antrim but there was the statement, “No persons recorded in Glenwhirry Parish during Tithe Applotment Rcords in Ireland - 1823 to 1838.” Ballyeaston doesn’t even feature.

I then decided to search surrounding areas of Ballyclug, Racavan, Connor, Rashee, Ballycor, Kilwaughter and Tickmacrevan.  Racavan, Rashee and Ballycor also had,” no persons recorded”. None of the surrounding areas had any of the Glenwhirry townlands.

I am hoping they are not destroyed but are kept somewhere in the depths of some archive and will eventually make their way online.

 Is there any Rootschatter who could throw any light on why these Tithe Applotment records are missing and whereabouts?

Regards,
KiwiRose.

[Sinann]

Perhaps no one living there had enough land to pay a tithe.

[KiwiRose]

Sinann,

Thanks for your thoughts as I hadn't considered that the farmers in Glenwhirry etc may not have enough land to be liable to pay taxes.

Regards,
KiwiRose.

[Elwyn Soutter]

The most likely explanation is that the relevant records are lost.

If a farmer had an acre or more he was liable to pay tithes, so the properties being too small isn’t likely to be the answer. If you look at Griffiths for say Clatteryknowes in Glenwhirry, you’ll see the smallest farm is 8 acres and the largest 82. So definitely liable for tithes.

The other thing to watch with the tithe applotments is church land. Church land was exempt from tithes, so there are no applotment records for those parishes. They are often called “Grange of…” However that isn't the explanation for Glenwhirry.

[KiwiRose]

Elwyn,

Thank you for the example of the size of the farms in the Glenwhirry area.

By the time of their deaths my Glenwherry/Ballyeaston families had sufficient assets to leave wills so it is likely that you are correct that the records are, sadly, lost.

Also, I was interested to learn what  "Grange of" means.

Regrds,
KiwiRose.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Also, I was interested to learn what  "Grange of" means.

Regrds,
KiwiRose.

Granges are generally former monastic sites. So there would have been a monastery plus agricultural land to support it. Tithes were taxes to pay for the support of the church. But obviously if the church already owned the land, it wouldn’t tax itself. So no tithes levied there. The monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII and became ordinary farmland again. However the exemption from tithes remained for some reason.

[scotmum]

.  Racavan, Rashee and Ballycor also had,” no persons recorded   

It is always worth checking, as you did,  neighbouring parishes. For example, Racavan parish residents are listed under Skerry parish at the site in your link.That said, apparently Glenwhirry had, at the time, no agricultural land worth assessing.

[KiwiRose]

scotmum, thank you for your explanation as to why some parishes didn't get their farmland assessed and recorded.

Regards,
KiwiRose.