England’s Tithe War

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 2nd Year

Issue

Issue No.

4

Date Released

Mar 1936

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1England’s Tithe War
2. 2United States horse racing
3. 3American Fisheries

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 3

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: Rising above England’s rolling farmlands are the steeples of a thousand Churches and a hundred Cathedrals, monuments of the hard-working farmers’ service to the Church of England. Once all England paid a tithe, a tenth of its produce, to support the Church. Burdensome even in good times, the tithe became, in times of depression down through the centuries, a heavy load for the farmer to carry, and rebellions were frequent against the tithe. To-day, this burden falls on 300,000 reluctant tithe payers who must this year meet a bill of nearly three million pounds. As officials of Queen Anne’s Bounty, whose task it is to collect the tithes, begin to use pressure to amek the farmer pay, throughout England spreads notice of the tithe payers’ defiance. In many a parish, relations become strained between the clergyman and his flock. Organising country-wide associations, tithe payers become strong enough to demand recognition of their plight. Finally, the farmers simply refuse to pay. With the tithe becoming more and more a serious problem, both sides turn. The Government strives for a solution. Parliament draws up a bill abolishing tithes after 60 years, putting their collection into Government hands and compensating the Church for its eventual loss with a grant of £70,000,000. But both factions are dissatisfied with the bill and the war goes on. As the collectors send their trucks to make seizures for unpaid tithes, the farmers’ scouts rouse the district. Farmers’ wagons block the road, hold up the trucks until farmers can move livestock, bury implements in hay stacks. But the collectors are invariably successful and a tithe debtor’s possessions are put up for auction. But the bidders at the sale are tithe payers, too, and with two-penny and three-penny offers for livestock and farm implements Government auctioneers are unable to convert them into cash. So, as the new bill becomes law, half in good nature and half in bitterness are fought what all England hopes are the final battles of this immemorial war. But on the Sabbath a truce is called and the famers answer the tolling Church bells. For long after the last tithe is paid the English countryman will continue to be, as he has been for twelve hundred years, the main support of the Church of England.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.3 No.2 of the US edition.

Keywords

Agriculture; Religion and belief

Written sources

The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Director

Harry Watt