Legal Definitions - indecimable

The term indecimable is a historical legal concept referring to something that was not subject to tithes. Historically, a tithe was a one-tenth portion of agricultural produce, livestock, or income that was paid as a tax to support a church or clergy. Therefore, an asset or income deemed indecimable was legally exempt from this religious levy.

• Barren Land: Imagine a farmer in medieval England who owned a small, rocky plot of land on the edge of his property. This particular plot was completely infertile, incapable of growing crops or sustaining livestock.

  This barren land would be considered indecimable because, unlike his productive fields, it yielded no agricultural produce from which a tithe could be collected. Its lack of output made it exempt from the tithe obligation.

• Personal Tools of a Craftsman: A skilled carpenter in a 13th-century town owned a valuable set of hand tools – chisels, saws, and planes – which were essential for his trade but were not themselves a source of agricultural produce or direct income in the titheable sense.

  These personal tools would be deemed indecimable. While the carpenter's earnings from his craft might have been subject to a tithe, the tools themselves, as non-productive capital assets, were not typically considered a source from which a tithe could be levied.

• Royal Forest Lands: In some historical contexts, large tracts of forest land designated as royal hunting grounds were managed directly by the crown and were not used for agriculture or other activities that typically generated titheable income for the local church.

  Such royal forest lands could be considered indecimable. Their specific designation and use, often exempt from local jurisdiction and focused on royal prerogative rather than agricultural output, meant they were not liable for the customary tithe payments.