In England, a township (Latin: villa) is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church.[1] A township may or may not be coterminous with a chapelry, manor, or any other minor area of local administration.
The township is distinguished from the following:
- Vill: traditionally, among legal historians, a vill referred to the tract of land of a rural community, whereas township was used when referring to the tax and legal administration of that community.[2]
- Chapelry: the 'parish' of a chapel (a church without full parochial functions).
- Tithing: the basic unit of the medieval Frankpledge system.[2]
'Township' is, however, sometimes used loosely for any of the above.
- ^ Anon (2007). Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 2 (6 ed.). p. 3308.
- ^ a b Winchester, Angus (2000). Discovering Parish Boundaries. Shire Publications. pp. 21–29. ISBN 0-7478-0470-2.