Notes on Medieval records used in The Medieval Citizen

Transcription

1 Notes on Medieval records used in The Medieval Citizen How do we know about the way people lived in the past, and in particular which issues affected local citizens? Although we can trace Britain s historic past through the writings of the Romans and Anglo-Saxons, it is not until after the Norman Conquest in 1066 that records of everyday life at local level have survived. The Domesday Book of 1086 provided a snapshot of the country at that time, but it is through official records kept by the King s court and at local level that we get a real feel for the main issues in medieval towns and cities. The original documents and publications referred to in the Medieval Citizen newspaper file are held at Hampshire Record Office, with the exception of the charter from King Edward relating to Andover priory which is part of the archives of Winchester College. It is because records of local government and activities such as the sale or grant of land have been deposited in record offices and elsewhere that we can build up a picture of life in the past. The town of Andover was chosen for this particular case-study, but the range of documents used could equally have reflected life in almost any medieval town or city. Each document acts like a piece in a jigsaw, providing the detail for a much bigger picture of medieval life. What follows is an explanation of each of those documents for background purposes. Patent Rolls. In ancient times all the principal records were written on pieces of parchment stitched together so as to form a long continuous piece, which was rolled up when not in use. Such records were called rolls. Now, however, the practice of writing on rolls has been abandoned for the more convenient method of writing in books.

2 The Patent Rolls contain grants of privileges, lands, offices and creation of peers of the realm usually by the monarch. They form part of the public records of the Kingdom and are kept at the Public Record Office in Kew. Transcripts of these documents from Latin into English are available in printed form in many libraries and archives. Charters. This term normally refers to a royal charter, which was a grant by the monarch in the form of a letter with the Great Seal of the country attached. Charters gave certain rights, powers, privileges or immunities, franchises, grants of land or property to a named person or persons. Many record offices have collections of documents which include charters dating back to the medieval period. Assize of Bread. It s correct title was Assisa panis et cerevisiae. This meant the power to assize (check) the weight of bread and the measures of beer and ale. It originated in a statute, or law, passed in the reign of Henry the third which fixed the price of bread by weight and the legal measures for beer and ale. Today we can buy loaves of bread in many shapes and size and at various prices. In medieval times every baker had to bake his bread to a set of rules governing weight and size. In Britain we sell beer and other alcoholic drinks by specific measures, such as a pint of beer or glass of wine. In medieval times ale-sellers had to have their measures stamped with a specific measure for ale or beer and, just as today, a landlord could be fined for selling a short measure to a customer. Will. A will is a declaration in which the person making it (who is called the testator) states who he would like his property or possessions to go to. No particular form of words is required when making out a will so long as the testator s intentions are made clear. In the past, however, it was usual to make

3 offerings to a parish church or cathedral and to the poor of the parish, so as to clear the testator s conscience of any mistakes or failings in their past before hopefully passing into Heaven. A will in most cases had to be in writing and signed at the bottom by the testator, or by someone in his presence (not many people could read or write at this time so most testator s made their mark usually in the form of an X). This had to be witnessed by two or more people who also signed their names or made their mark. As soon as possible after the testator s death, it was the duty of the executor (named in the will by the testator) to prove the will in court and make an inventory or list of the testator s possessions as well as debts and money owed. The executor would then carry out the wishes of the testator in their will by distributing money or goods to named individuals such as family and friends as well as the parish church and poor. Churchwardens Accounts. Churchwardens were known as the proper guardians or keepers of the parish church. In Geoffrey Chaucer s time he would have known this important position as church reeve. There were two types of entry in the churchwardens account books, money received (receipts) and money spent (disbursements). On the receipts side the churchwardens raised money through Church ales, where they begged or bought malt to brew ale which was sold to local parishioners to raise funds for the parish church. Money was also to be made from the flock of church sheep, and occasionally church hive of bees. Gifts to the church, known as bequests, came in the form of money or goods such as spoons, pots and plates. These were stored in the church until the time came to raise more cash for repairs or new items for the church.

4 In terms of money spent large amounts went on candles, beeswax and tallow for ceremonial and lighting purposes. Money also went on the repair of the many service books, bells and clock, as well as the clerk and wardens wages, gifts to singers, rushes for the church floor, and flowers for the decoration of the church during festivals. Brokage Book of Southampton. In the fifteenth century the brokers of Southampton were carrying on work which has no exact modern English equivalent. They combined the functions of a custom official with those of a toll-collector on a private road or bridge. The broker sat at the Bargate of Southampton and there took toll from all merchants or carters leaving or entering the City. It was work which demanded literacy, a knowledge of local customs and history, and a more than fair understanding of human nature. Armed with a knowledge of local custom, and of the privilege of all the towns of England, and with a capacity to outwit any merchant or carter who tried to pass off as inferior goods which were not of low value, the broker had to write in his book the account of tolls collected, the carters, the goods, and the merchants who owned them. Goods came in and went out even on Sunday, and with the exception of Christmas time and on saints days the broker or his clerk seems to have been always on duty. Analysis of the Brokage book shows that the majority of carts passed out in the winter and early spring, that is, at a time when it has been generally considered that weather and road conditions were not favourable to transport, and medieval townships were isolated. Explanations for this include the fact that transport was most needed when goods had just landed at Southampton and were ready for distribution. Another

5 explanation was that there was a seasonal demand for one particular type of cargo, fish, in Lent, which meant that during February and March the numbers of carts carrying red and white herring, ling and sprats increased. In the summer, and immediately after Michaelmas (the Feast of St Michael, 29 September) fresh meat was more readily available in the country districts, and so the number of carts carrying fish declined. For more information on Medieval town life and other Medieval sources try the following web links: Internet Medieval Sourcebook English Medieval Urban Towns The Middle Ages Town Life