Letter – Thomas Bernard to Shute Barrington – 29 Nov 1797

      Foundling 29 Nov 97

My Lord,

      I have felt some difficulty & diffidence in offering your Lordship my Sentiments upon a beneficial & proper Compensation to be given for Tythes. Every one agrees that they are an Impediment to the Agricultural Improvement of a Country, & (where disputes occur between the Clergymen & his Parishioners) extremely prejudicial to the Cause of Religion; but what unexceptionable Compensation can be made which shall always be commensurate to the Contingent Improvement of the Country is not easy to ascertain.

      I cannot persuade myself that the Objection which existed in Queen Elizabeth’s time against the Reservation of a stipulated <share> as Corn rents, tho I do not object to <….> a compensation so varied & divided as to bearing, is less felt than one taken all in one Mode: & the Living of Stanhope will be so opulent, if this Inclosure takes place, that it will not be subject to the Common Objections to which lesser Livings are liable. If I were called upon to divide the Compensation into parts, I sho[uld] give 1/5th in demesne land, 2/5ths in demisable Land, & 2/5ths in Money Rents, not immediately divided, but fixed in larger Sums. The Making the latter agreeable to the Parties interested would require a little Arrangement, but would not, I hope, be attended with much difficulty



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annual Sum in lieu of Tythes, has the same or any proportional degree of force at present;Tho I think it a reason why the Compen[satio]n should not be all in an Annual Sum, but partly in an improvable Estate, as has been done in the Living of Terrington in Yorkshire.

      To apply that Example to the present Case I should propose for Consider[atio]n whether part of the Compens[atio]n for the Tythes of Stanhope should not be 1st._ an Allotm[en]t of glebe or demesne land, to the possession of which the Rector would be entitled on his coming to the living: - 2nd an All[otmen]t of land demisable for 21 Years at a Rackrent; - 3rd Money Rents payable out of certain parts of the other Allotm[ent]s. _ I do not propose 



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      When I hear from you again on the Subject, & I know your Ideas, I may be able to add more to the above. Anything that respects your L[ordshi]ps Concerns has always a first place with me. I will avail myself of your hint about Mr Burn.

      I am always, most humbly Your Lordship’s obliged & Obed. Servt.

      Tho Bernard



The Ld. Bp of Durham