Tithe memorial, Elmsett

Image: © Bikeboy Taken: 5 Aug 2020

The obelisk bears the inscription "1934. To commerate [sic] the Tithe seizure at Elmsett Hall of furniture including baby's bed and blankets, herd of dairy cows, eight corn stacks and seed stacks valued at £1200 for tithe valued at £385". On the face of it, this would seem a fairly petty injustice on behalf of the church, stealing children's bedding etc, but read details of the story at www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/elmsett.html (a fantastic resource) to perhaps gain a little more insight to what was going on here back in the 1930s. The stone was obviously erected at considerable expense and directly outside the lychgate of the church. Rural Suffolk 1930s "in your face".

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