The Finance (1909-1910) Act, 1910, introduced a new tax on land values and therefore to implement it a detailed survey of all land was carried out over the following few years.
All plots of land were identified and numbered, and both the occupiers and the owners were recorded, together with the valuation assessment. The Ordnance Survey maps that were current at the time (the 1900 1:2500 series) were marked up with the number of each plot of land and colour shaded to distinguish each plot and corresponding buildings. The names and valuation details, plus cross-references to the maps, were registered in Field Books. There are two sets of records:
- The first set consists of the maps and Valuation Books (also called the ‘Domesday’ Books) used to carry out the Survey itself, and the ones for Sherington are held at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury.
- The second set of maps and Field Books are the formal records of the Survey for the Inland Revenue, and these are now held at the National Archives at Kew.
It is recommended that the information from the Domesday Books, the Field Books and the Survey Maps are all used in conjunction with the 1911 Census, to provide the fullest picture of Sherington just before the First World War.
The 1796 Enclosure Map of Sherington. Each plot of land was numbered and the person to whom it was allocated is listed in the 5 tables at the foot and right of the map, together with the sum of money involved. The table also gives a brief description of the property and whether it was a new or old enclosure. The transcription of the tables on the website is arranged by surname rather than plot number.
Principal Holders of Land – 1312 to 1962
The data sets have been taken from AC Chibnall’s book: “Fiefs and Fields of a Buckinghamshire Village”.
Principal holders of land: tables of data for the following years: 1312, 1400, 1460, 1580, 1650, 1700, 1750, 1797, 1862 & 1962