What Was the Tithing System

The tithing was a group of ten people. Everyone had to be a member of a tithing and each had to take responsibility for the others. Thus if any one member of the tithing broke the law the others had to take responsibility for getting the accused to court. If they failed, they would face punishment themselves.

What was the tithing system in medieval times?

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic church in Europe collected a tax of its own, separate from the kings’ taxes, which was called a tithe. Tithe means “one-tenth”, because people were supposed to give the Church one-tenth of all the income they earned. The priests and bishops kept the tithes in tithe barns like this one.

When was the tithing system created?

History. The term originated in the 10th century, when a tithing meant the households in an area comprising ten hides. The heads of each of those households were referred to as tithingmen; historically they were assumed to all be males, and older than 12 (an adult, in the context of the time).