St John-juxta-Swansea Parish Records

Records relating to the parish of St John-juxta-Swansea, 1852-1905, including poor rate books, 1852-1905; photocopy [late 20th century] of tithe plan and apportionment, 1844.

During the late Middle Ages the parish became increasingly important as a unit of civil administration. From the 16th century unpaid parish officers were responsible for keeping the peace, repairing roads and assisting the poor, by means of a rate levied on the inhabitants of the parish. Civil parish councils were established by the Local Government Act 1894, taking over responsibilities from parish vestry meetings. The parish of St John-juxta-Swansea was in the county of Glamorgan, until local government reorganisation in 1974, when it became part of West Glamorgan. Tithes were originally payments in kind to the church; by the 19th century, these payments were often commuted to money. In 1836 the Tithe Commission was established to create a new system of rent charges based on landowning in the parish, and between 1836 and 1852 appointed surveyors to make large-scale maps and schedules that listed all landowners and tenants and field-names in a parish, as well as the land-use of each field.

Arranged into the following: Poor rate books; Tithe plan and apportionment.

No restrictions

It is the policy of the West Glamorgan Archive Service to withhold the names of depositors.

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used to compile this description: West Glamorgan Archive Service, St John-juxta-Swansea, catalogue; Hey, David, Oxford Dictionary of Local and Family History, (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997).

A hard copy is available at the West Glamorgan Archive Service.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at West Glamorgan Archive Service have been retained.

Accruals are not expected