Local history

The set of fragile tithe maps detail how Leeds looked over 150 years ago, but over the years they have become incredibly fragile and prone to disintegration, but thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund grant, The West Yorkshire Archive Service (WYAS) will be able to preserve the 58 maps and apportionments and give much greater access to the information that they capture.

The historic records cover the current Leeds Metropolitan District area from 1839 – 1850, which was a period of increasing urban and industrial growth in the city. The maps are the earliest, systematic, large-scale record for the area and are still regularly used today. Over 14,000 people visited the public search rooms last year to investigate issues such as public rights of way, occupancy, land use, field names and environmental planning, as well as archaeology and family history.

Council worker with an original casing

However the maps are fragile from age and suffering from a century and a half of frequent handling. They are also covered in a layer of coal dust that accumulated because original storage conditions were poor. Their large size (up to 3 m²) makes them hard to handle and the 19th century handwriting is sometimes not easy to decipher.

The West Yorkshire Archive Service will use the HLF grant of £161,500 to vastly reduce the need to handle the documents. A new Project Manager and a team of volunteers, will make the data and the maps available Leeds City Council website, enabling searches and comparison of the historic data with current Ordnance Survey data.

The public will be able to help bring the past to life, by adding their personal memories, photographs and documents to the site. They will also be able to explore how particular areas have changed over time through reminiscence, guided walks and inter-generational activities. A travelling exhibition will tour local libraries, WYAS offices and community venues.

Page from apportionment book

Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "These valuable historic records are a truly unique snapshot of how the area once looked and they are still heavily used to shape the modern landscape of Leeds.  Our grant will address the need to access and protect them for future generations, giving people from all walks of life the chance to step back in time."

Graham Hebblethwaite, Chief Officer of West Yorkshire Joint Services, the organisation that runs West Yorkshire Archive Service, added: "We are really pleased that the Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed to provide the funds that will enable us to make this unique collection of maps far more readily available to a wider audience. It will be a resource of interest not only to people who live in the City itself, but also to those who live as far afield as Otley,  Wetherby, Morley and Garforth."

Sheepscar in Victorian times

The maps were created as a result of the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836. Detailed maps were drawn up indicating the boundaries of fields, woods, roads streams and rivers, and the position of buildings. The details of rent charges payable for each property were then documented in 'tithe apportionments'. They also record who owned and occupied each plot, field names, land use and land value.

West Yorkshire Archive Service preserves records to document the histories of West Yorkshire, its communities and its people and works to improve and extend access to this information for all.