Magpie Green

Country: England region: Suffolk Grid Ref: TM077788 Near: Diss surveyed: 14 August 2004

This object is a Tithe Memorial. Historically, the Church appropriated 10% of the produce of the land. The claim is based on a passage in the Old Testament, and used to be taken in kind - after the harvest the parson would store every tenth sheaf of corn etc in a tithe-barn. In 1836 a Tithe Act was passed turning this into a rent-charge which reduced friction between farmers and the church somewhat, but after the First World War there was a movement against the tithe and there were many seizures. Aggrieved farmers turned off their land sometimes bought a small piece of it and erected a tithe memorial to point a long-lasting accusing finger at the Church.