Author

Rodney Lane

Date

2012-ongoing

Project Type

Research

Subject

Landscape Archaeology, History

Datasets

Landmark historic OS maps available through Digimap

Tithe appointment books

Related Subjects

Geography; History

Sources: Digimap; County Record office

Dates/Editions: As available

Scale: 1:10650

Publishing Institution

Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter

Summary

Transcribing tithe data onto historic maps to identify the extent of villages with former open fields and dispersed hamlets in east Devon and west Somerset.

Aims & Objectives

This task is part of an ongoing research project that is overseen by Professor Stephen Rippon of the University of Exeter. It is aiming to digitise a series of tithe maps, enter them into GIS, and then analyse the various datasets (eg patterns of land-ownership and land-occupancy) in order to shed light on the origins and development of the historic landscape (e.g. the extent of for open field).

Methodology

The first task was to create a data-base from the tithe apportionment book for the parishes in the study area to show landowners, occupiers, farm names, field names, land use and acreage. Tiles of the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six Inch maps were loaded onto a GIS. The detail from the tithe map was transcribed as polygons onto a layer over the OS 1^st Edition base map and the field/property numbers entered, which link to the transcription of the apportionment. Due to the fieldscape changes between 1840 and 1880 care had to be taken to correctly draw in the missing boundaries. When completed the database can be interrogated to show who owned what, who occupied what and the names, uses and size of the fields.  

Results/Outcome

This project is ongoing, but it is anticipated the research will result in a better understanding of the extent of former open fields.

References & Acknowledgements

Supervisor: Professor Stephen Rippon, University of Exeter