Court of First Fruits and Tenths facts for kids

First Fruits and Tenths was a special kind of tax paid by church leaders in Great Britain. When a new church leader (called a clergyman) started a new job or position (called a benefice), they had to pay some money. The Court of First Fruits and Tenths was a special office created in 1540. Its job was to collect these payments from church leaders. Before this, the money used to go to the Pope in Rome.

Church leaders had to pay two main amounts:

• First Fruits: This was a part of their income from their very first year in a new job.
• Tenths: This was one-tenth (10%) of their income every year after the first year.

Originally, this money was sent to the Pope. But in 1534, King Henry VIII passed a law. This law changed things so the money went to the English King instead. This was part of his plan to take more control over the church in England.

A law passed in 1533, called the Appointment of Bishops Act 1533, allowed these taxes to move from the Pope to the King. Thomas Cromwell, a key advisor to King Henry VIII, first set up a way to manage these new payments. Later, the special Court of First Fruits and Tenths was created to handle them. In 1554, this Court was closed. Its job then moved to a department of the government's treasury, called the Exchequer.

What Were First Fruits and Tenths?

First Fruits and Tenths were payments that church leaders made.

• First Fruits (also called annates) meant giving the King all the money earned in the first full year from a new church position.
• Tenths (also called decimae) meant giving one-tenth (10%) of the yearly earnings from that position after the first year.

These payments were a big source of money for the King. They became part of the Crown's income in 1534 and stayed that way for a long time. The Court of First Fruits and Tenths helped collect these payments. It handled things like checking accounts and making sure the money was paid.

Queen Anne's Bounty

In 1703, something important changed. Queen Anne decided to use these payments differently. She created a special fund called Queen Anne's Bounty. This fund was set up to help poorer Anglican church leaders.

A law in 1703, the Queen Anne's Bounty Act 1703, made this official. It meant that the money from First Fruits and Tenths would no longer go directly to the Crown. Instead, it would go into this new fund. This fund helped to increase the income of church leaders who earned very little.

Later, in 1706, more laws were passed. These laws said that about 3,900 poor church positions, which earned less than £50 a year, no longer had to pay First Fruits and Tenths at all. This helped many struggling church leaders.

See also

• Annates
• First Fruits