Did you know that you had to be an Anglican or at least a nominal one to get into the British parliament until 1829 (probably to get the "right sort" in). Other Christians were allowed entry after this time. Jews as the next best thing were allowed in in 1858. Poor old atheists had to wait till 1886. Till 1845 to be a Don at Oxford University you also had to be an Anglican minister. If you were defrocked as an Anglican minister you also incurred civil penalties until 1812. Some people in England were obliged by law to pay tithes till 1926.
To a large extent yes, but the law to stop some people paying tithes was actually introduced by the Anglican Church. You may not realise that the Anglican Church can and does introduce laws (actually called measures) into the UK Parliament. I'm am not sure of the legal origin of my other examples, they may or may not have been introduced by the church, but they were definitely passed by Anglicans.
Little known facts about Anglicanism: Don't be surprised if your local church doesn't believe in all or even most of the 39 articles.
Well yes. I'm not a lawyer (I work in a factory) but from memory some university chancellors (among others) had to pay tithes. This was accomplished by the introduction of the First Fruits and tenths Measure and probably the repeal of the Queen Anne's Bounty provisions. But I'll do a bit more study and get back to you on this issue.
I am having trouble finding the relevant legislation but here is its introduction to the Lords by someone of a certain stature. Quote from Hansard. ----------------------------------------------- 15 July 1926 Volume 64 THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY My Lords, I beg now to move to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the First Fruits and Tenths Measure, 1926, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. Again I have to ask you to listen for a moment to what is a purely non-contentious, but I am afraid prosaic and very uninteresting, Measure. There exist in England to-day, out of the long past, what are known as first fruits and tenths, which are levied in a most haphazard way, as it turns out, upon the benefices, some richer and some poorer, and which go into the funds of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners or Queen Anne's Bounty, for purposes which are now being provided for in other ways. All that this Measure provides is that the existing arrangements, which are quite out of date and which work exceedingly badly, should be amalgamated in the larger scheme, which will prevent any harm coming to any incumbent who forfeits what has been supposed to be his gain out of the products of his ecclesiastical first fruits and tenths. Further, Queen Anne's Bounty and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners make good any difference arising between the old and the new systems. It is entirely an ecclesiastical matter, and I venture to ask your Lordships, in accordance with the approval given to it by the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament, to assent to this Resolution, which has already passed the House of Commons. Moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the First Fruits and Tenths Measure, 1926, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.—( The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.) On Question, Motion agreed to. The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House that he had received from the Senior Registrar in Bankruptcy a certificate that Harold James Selborne Baron Terrington was adjudicated a bankrupt on the 12th day of July, 1926. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Note the mention of The Lord Chancellor, another example of the slippery slope. He or she wasn't allowed to be a Roman Catholic till Thatcher became Prime Minister, but mercifully it is legislated that The L.C. has to delegate to an appropriate person, appointments to ecclesiastical courts if the L.C. is a R.C. If anyone can point me to copy of the First fruits measure it would be appreciated.