Tithe commutation

The system had become complex, with lay owners by impropriation entitled to some tithes, which were of a number of kinds.

[4] Commutation of tithes occurred in England before the 19th century major reform, since it was an aspect of enclosure, a legal process under which rights to common land were modified by an act of parliament.

[5] In such cases, commissioners who dealt with the detail of enclosure acts handled tithes by allocation of land, as part of the division of ownership.

[6] By this mechanism, in the period between 1750 and 1830, the glebe land increased, and clerics in some places became active farmers.

[8] The legislation was shaped by the parliamentary contribution of William Blamire, a farmer and self-styled "practical man" who became a tithe commissioner.