Abbey Spiritualities Charge Books

These books each summarise the net yearly Abbey income from spiritualaties (which mainly consisted of tithes) as distinct from temporalities (which were mainly land rents). The accounts for both forms of income are combined in the annual Abbey Charge Books for 1641 to 1644 (held in MS10192).

Description of the 1644 Spiritualities

The document is rather messy and untidily written. It was presumably a working book of receipts as opposed to the neat summary of accounts which would have been produced from it. It follows on from the temporalities accounts and is broken up into sections.

The first section is for Malew. Most of the entries record the name of the tenant followed by a line leading to the right margin. In this margin we have a sum of money and optionally a quantity of crops (typically 1 firkin or half a firkin). These appear to have been the tithe payable. Receipt of these payments seems to have been acknowledged by a cross against the name in the left margin. Sometimes additional notes detailing the dates and amounts of payments are appended to an entry. From these it is clear that sometimes the payment was made in kind and sometimes in money (half a firkin equated to 15d). Names of tenants are sometimes accompanied by identifying locations (for example John Bridson Oristall.

Half way through the entries for Malew the format changes slightly. All of the due tithes are now recorded in the left hand column and no crops are included. This section may correspond tithes payable from non-farmers (eg artisans). The receipts include payments in kind (including in turf and in plowing). The section concludes with several other forms of spiritual income. These are expressed as follows.

Smale tythes offering monys & corpsesents.
3 Junii 1645 Rec of Tho Quirke in pte of this sume upon his 
[?] of [? ?] made this day 5l 17s 1d nothing 
being paid it the former year.

Crofts & gardens } p Ed: Smimin
27 Jan 1647 Rc of Ed: Shimin 20s

7 Aug }  Recived of Sr Tho Parr for 13  }  8s 8d
1645  }  Tythe lambs at 8d a peace -----}

The following section describes the rent received from the lease of the recory of Arbory as well as various other named lands. Those properties are: Ardarie (30s), Balakermin (30s), Balakilpatrick (20s), Bacole (10s), Bimaken (20s), Aresi (30s), Balalewne (8s), Aronayne (14s), Colby (3l), Balafaden (3l), Baladoole (10s), Balakakin (5s 8d). In each case the names of both the last and current leaseholder are given, presumably due to new compositions being agreed in 1643. There is also a payment of 4s 5d to Sr Robt Norris recorded for repair of the Arbory Chancell. The receipt is also attached. Some example entries are given below.

Arborie }   Small tythes mortuaries & offering           }
            monys wth the gleabe laste to Sr Norris for  }  27s 2d
            40s 6d now in him also for ------------------} 
            because of the losse in the mortuaries & offeringe monys

+    Colby last to uxo Wm Browne & her sonne             }   3l
     Ed now to the Capt for -----------------------------}

The next section appears to record the tithes for Rushen. It consists of a list of names followed by short annotations such as his own tythe or 1 Sheaffe or for 2 pts of Robt Nelsons tythe. As before sums of money appear against these entries in the right column.

The succeeding section has placenames in the left column and with a similar format to the corresponding Arbory section described above. The placenames given are Sarceby, Sowsin, Scaldeby, Scardy, Balakilpatrick. Additionally the small tythes (to Sr Jo: keye Henry Tarlor and Hu Waterson for 5 pounds) are mentioned.

The final section appears to contain a list of miscellanous payments for repairs and the like. They include fees for a carpenter, a slater (25 days), for lyme, for turf and for repairs to KK Lonan.