The Moar's Customary Allowance

The Moar had to make a customary payment to the Lord which was for a fixed amount and is recorded in the Liber Assed. Separately he received a customary allowance which (from 1602) was recorded in the pension books. These latter amounts vary from individual to individual. This section is an attempt to precisely calculate how these allowances were determined.

Some numbers

The following allowances are recorded for Kirk Michael in the Pension Books from onwards. They are annotated as being for the customary rent of one quarter.

• William Cannell Moar for 16s 4d in 1602
• Dollin Cannell Coronor for 18s 6d in 1602
• Finlo Quaill Moar for 16s in 1603
• Finlo Cannell Moar for 17s 10d in 1604
• John Woods Coronor for 16s 6 1/2d in 1604 ["three parts in one place and the fourth part in another"]
• James Quaill Moar for 18s 6d in 1605
• Gilbert Cannell Moar for 18s 4d in 1606
• William Cayne Moar for 18s in 1607
• John Woods Coronor for 16s 6 1/2d in 1607 (as in 1604)
• John Cayne Moar for 18s in 1608
• William Cayne Moar for 18s in 1609 (as in 1607)
• Adam Callister Moar for 15s 8d in 1610
• 1610 Pension Book not found
• William Cayne Moar for 18s in 1612 (as in 1607)
• Adam Callister Moar for 15s 8d in 1613 (as in 1610)
• John Woods Coronor for 16s 6 1/2d in 1613 (as in 1604)
• John Cannell Moar for 17s 10d in 1614
• John Cayne Coronor for 18s in 1614 (as in 1608)
• Adam Callister Moar for 15s 8d in 1615 (as in 1610)
• Donald Kerron Moar for 18s in 1616
• Adam Callister Moar for 15s 8d in 1617 (as in 1610)
• 1618 Pension Book not found
• Jo Cannell Moar for 18s in 1619
• Wm Cayne Coronor for 18s in 1619
• Donald Kerron Moar for 18s in 1620 (as in 1616)
• Adam Callister Moar for 15s in 1621 (different from 1610 etc)
• John Cayne Coronor for 18s in 1621 (as in 1608)
• Donald Kerron Moar for 18s in 1622 (as in 1616)
• Adam Callister Moar for 15s 8d in 1623 (as 1610 etc)
• Donald Kerron Moar for 24s 4d in 1624 (different from 1620)
• John Cayne Coronor for 18s in 1624 (as in 1608)
• Donald Cayne Moar for 22s in 1625
• John Woods Coronor for 16s 6 1/2d in 1625 (as in 1604)

Checking the Liber Assed gives us the following quarterland rents

• William Cannell: 8s 2d of 16s 4d in Norlough [1609 LA]
• John Woods: 3s of 4s in Ballfaden and 28s 9d of 37s in Leyrey [1609 LA]
• Gilbert Cannell: 8s 2d of 16s 4d in Norlough and also 4d of 27s 8d in Norlough [1605 LA]
• John Cayne: 18s quarter in Barrickmore [1605 LA]
• Adam Callister: 7s 6d of 15s quarterland in Oristall [1625 LA]
• Wm Cayne: 5s 4d of 20s quarterland in Ballister [1625 LA]
• Donald kerron: 13s 6d of 27s quarterland in Cammal [1615LA, 1625 LA]
• Donald Cayne: 14s 2d of 28s 4d quarterland in Norlough [1625 LA]

My initial conclusion from the above figures is that the size of the allowances depends upon the land which the office-holder is tenant for, but is not simply determined by the rent of that land. The early records of customary dues (in the 1593 record in the Composition Book) show that there is a small variation in dues between quarterlands and this is not obviously related to their annual rents.