Imagine you are a farmer living on a small inland holding in Cornwall. The soil here is poor, and it needs sand from the coast to make it produce a good crop. This alone requires a grueling overland haul that is not only time-consuming but adds to your overhead. Rocks are ubiquitous, and hedgerows are used to hem in pasture for cattle, sheep, and fields. The weather near the coast is temperate, but here there is nothing to stop the constant, sometimes punishing westerly winds. The growing season is shorter, making this area more suited for grazing than cultivating; thus, you raise cattle or sheep. Hardy crops such as oats and turnips are the choice over wheat.
Everything you need to live, you must grow or make from the animals or crops you grow or those of your neighbors. Few people who live in the country go shopping for new clothes. The cloth is made from wool from sheep or spun from flax. Nothing is wasted. Everything is used or re-used.
You are Methodist, known as a nonconformist. To “conform” you would be a member of the local parish church run by The Church of England. Your family decided generations ago that the Church of England was for the gentry and people of means. By law, you owe a literal tenth of everything you produce. This means an agent for the church could walk onto your farm and demand the calf that was recently born, the lamb you thought you could feed your family with, and a tenth of the milk that your cows produced this morning.
The Church of England has far-reaching powers. To be legally married, the rector must read marriage banns in public to announce your intentions in case anyone objects. The parish churches record marriages along with births and deaths and report these to the authorities quarterly.
Your stress increases because common grazing grounds are disappearing, and regulations limit the number of animals you can own. In 1836, the tithe laws were “reformed”. Instead of making circumstances easier, the commutation of the new law takes away the in-kind payment and switches to cash. This new system leaves no room for negotiation—no room for forgiveness if your crop fails or you don’t have an increase in your herd or flock.
You don’t own your small holding outright, so you pay rent to the lord or owner, and he demands payment no matter your circumstances, or you face eviction. Workhouses are frowned upon, so people do everything they can to meet their obligations, but if they become widowed or are old, then they may have no choice.
But then you hear of the opportunities in America, Canada, and Australia. There are jobs, and it is illegal for anyone to charge a tithe. You get to keep what you make. Promises of cheap or free land entice you. You wonder if these claims are true and dream of owning your own land, living free of the increasing burdens you face. Reports from neighbors who have gone over filter into the community. As time goes on, pressures mount; you take one step forward and two steps back. You’ve had enough and decide the risk is worth the cost.
So many made this life-changing, life-defying decision. Those left behind had no guarantee they would see their loved ones again. Whether by death or decision, some never did, and they may never have known what happened.
It is difficult for us to understand why our ancestors made the choices they did until we dig into the context of the period. When we take the time to imagine what life was really like, only then can we understand their motivations and willingness to risk everything. It begs the question: what would you do?
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Further Resources:
The 1836 Tithe Commutation Act: Kresen Kernow. “Agriculture and Environment.” Accessed September 4, 2026. https://kresenkernow.org/our-collections/collections-guides/agriculture-and-environment/
Methodism in Cornwall: Deacon, Bernard. “The Causes of Methodist Growth.” Cornish Methodism or Methodism in Cornwall. Accessed September 4, 2026. https://bernarddeacon.com/cornish-methodism-ormethodism-in-cornwall/the-causes-of-methodist-growth/