Tracing England's Past: A Genealogy Podcast

What can nineteenth-century tithe maps tell us about our English ancestors? In this first episode of Tracing England's Past, we explore how tithe maps and their accompanying apportionments can help us discover where our ancestors lived, worked, and occupied land.

I'll share examples from my own family history research in Kirby Misperton and Hovingham, Yorkshire, including what I discovered when I couldn't find a tithe map for my ancestral village. We'll also visit Kensington, London, to see how useful these records can be for researching people in cities.

And because this episode is being released on November 2, we'll begin with a look at All Souls' Day and how our English ancestors remembered the dead.

• All Souls' Day, souling, and soul cakes in medieval England

• How tithes worked and the changes introduced by the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836

• What tithe maps and apportionments reveal about landowners and occupiers

• Finding my ancestors' land in Kirby Misperton, Yorkshire

• Why a tithe map may never have been created for Hovingham

• Using tithe maps for urban research in Kensington, London

• Understanding English field names such as close, garth, ing, and holme

• The National Archives – Tithes Research Guide

• TheGenealogist – National Tithe Record Collection (subscription)

• Ancestry – Tithe Maps and Apportionments (subscription)

• North Yorkshire Archives – Tithe Maps

• Cheshire Tithe Maps Online

• Devon County Council – Tithe Maps

• Kresen Kernow – Cornwall Historical Mapping

• English Heritage – Soul Cakes and Halloween

Karen Kowallis is an Accredited Genealogist® professional specializing in English family history and the owner of Lineage Tracer.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Tracing England's Past in your favorite podcast app and share it with someone interested in English family history.

Welcome to Tracing England's Past: A Genealogy Podcast, hosted by Karen Kowallis, an Accredited Genealogist® professional specializing in English family history.

Discover lesser-known historical records, learn practical genealogy research strategies, and explore how England's laws, customs, and history shaped your ancestors' lives.

Whether you're an experienced genealogist or looking to take your family history research further, this podcast will help you uncover new sources, interpret historical documents, and make more meaningful discoveries.

Listen to this short introduction to learn what the podcast is all about, and follow the show so you don't miss an episode!