T

from whence he departed. There was one of the name of Gerold, or Gerald, who was the eleventh cabbot of Furness; but the distance of time will not permit any one to imagine him to be the Gerold of Hode. ni

CHAP X.

Survey of the Revenues of Furness Abbey, immediately before the Dissolution; with an Estimate of the Value of the same e according to the present appreciation of the British Coin.

THE abbey of Furness was a mother monastery, and had under her nine houses, four of which were filiations from Furness. 1. The monastery of Caldre, in Cumberland; 2. Swinshead, or Swynsheved abbey in Lyncolnshire; 3. The abbey of Russin, in Man, 4. Fermei, in Ireland; 5. Ynes; 6. Holy Cross 7. Wythnea; 8. Corkontouth; 9. Ynefelughen, with Fotggines Arkelo, and Bello-Becio:

At the dissolution, the revenues of Furness, abbey, according to Dugdale, were valued at 805l. 16s accor ding to Speed, 9661. 7s. In the thirty-first and thirty second years of the reign of king Edward I. the rents were 1991 8 2d. as asserted in a manuscript in the Manchester library.

Having it ever in view to entertain the reader with the completest account, of this abbey in every possible respect, I shall here present him with a copy of an agreement made between the abbot of Furness, and the tenants of the abbey; which will be a key to the ancient and modern state of the tenants in Furness. After this, I shall lay before him, the survey immediately preceded the dissolution; by which a

It was the latest dissolved monastery in these kingdoms. The site of it is now called Bally-Salley, where some ruins still remain.

complete

complete idea will be had of the revenues, power, and prowess, of the púisne Monarch of Furness......

The agreement took place, the seventeenth year of the reign of king Henry VIII. in these words.

*WHEREAS heretofor stryve and contencion hath been had, for and concernynge dyvers meitters moved, sterred, and now depending, betwene Alexander, the abbot of the monastery of our blessed ladye of Furnes, and the convent of the same, of one partye, and their tenants of the lordship of Plane Furness, with the coppyholders of the town of Dalton, of the other partye, and inspecially for the tythes of certain touns and fermolds ther; and also for the fyns and customs of the hold, as well of the said coppyholders as of the customary tenants within the said lordship now in contention: "For the appeysing whereof the said partys ys fully contented and agreed to abyde and performe all such orders, end and award, as shall be made and given by Sir William Compton, knyght, stewart of all the possessions of the monastery of our blessed lady of Furness, so that, by the good wysdom and perswayson of the sayd stewart, the sayde abbot and convent are not only. contented clearly to absolve all their said tenants, but also to take and receyve, att exchange or death of every such tenant, after surrender made in the leet, as has been accustomed, for one hold burgage, for his or their fyne, three shillings and four pence, and for every halfe burgage, for his or their fyne, xx pence, and for the making of every coppy, four pence, as always heretofor they have been accustomed to pay unto the sayde monasterie, without tyme of mind, and not above. And such of the sayde tenants as heretofor payed theyr tythes in money, in the rent, so contynewe perpetually: and farther the said tenants are bound to have in readiness threscore able men with harnes, mete to send to the kynge, when the abbot or his stewart shall command: whereof to be taken of the coppyholds of Dalton six, and of the customary tenants fifty-four: and the

August 25, 1526.

said

said tenants to have in the lord's woods hous-bote and plough-bote within the said lordship: and the said tenant to keep his hous tennantable, upon his own charges, with thake and walle. And for the true performance of all manor of things above expressed, upon the behalfe of both the sayed partyes, the sayed tenantes doth confesse, yf they or any of them, or their assignes, be proved to offend in any of the articles above wrytten, so proved, that it shall be lawfull for the sayde abbot and convent to take the same offence in oppen court to be a lawfull forfitt to the sayde abbot, or his successors, or else to stand in full strength and effect for ever. Given at the castle of Dalton, the day and year above. sayde.

"And the sayde number of sixty men to be taken within the sayde lordshipp, in manner and form following."

There were other conditions on the part of the abbot and convent, though not specified in the agreement, which they obliged themselves to perform, according. to their former and then present practice, and to recommend to their successors. The tenant's security for this was the inviolable practice of the convent. These conditions were certain benefits, perquisites, and allowances, received daily from the monastery, in return for the domestic provisions with which the tenants in the environs of the abbey were charged.

We now return to the account of the revenues of the abbey, taken from the survey made by an act of parliament two years before the dissolution, in which is set forth a circumstantial account of all the revenues belonging to the abbey of Furness, with the valuation of provisions as then rated, which no doubt, was at an average price with the neighbouring markets. The. comparative value of money, and its difference in the reign of Henry VIII. from what it is at present, will be shewn immediately after the survey.

A SURVEY (NOW REMAINING IN THE FIRST-FRUITS OFFICE) TAKEN IN PURSUANCE OF AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT, 26 MEN. VIII. OF THE ABBEY OF FURNESS, IN THE ARCHDEACONRY OF RICHMOND, AND RURAL DEANRY OF FURNESS, AND CARTMELL, IN THE COUNTY OF LANCASster.

descalle 66s. 8d. Wateflate and Grenesyke 26s. 8d. Newpark 61. 13s. 4d.

Ffarfarkenynge 26s. 8d. Greynhame. and Greneterne 30s. Mousell with appur tenances 26s. 8d. Hagge with Milatwood 66s. 8d. Heham 40s. Plimton gos. Sowerby Meadow 26s. Hagge Meadow 40s. Woods about the monastery rol. Brotherykell 51. 6s. 8d. Yelecott 20s. Mills 201. Staindrieth and Yerlythe Cott 40s. the fishery at Lancaster 40s. Haverthwait 42s. and 4d. Fyrstwhate 26s. 8d. Rameshed 10s. Bodynne 10s.

In all

The Rents of a Tenement called South

End.

In money 31s. 8d. In provisions, iiij. quarters of barley, value 20s. xvi. quarters of oates, value 42s. and 8d. forty hoggasts* 40s. x. year-old sterks, value gos. xl. stone. of cheese, value 26s. and 8d. xvi. stone of butter, value 8s. and the carriage of xx. cart of peats, value 10s.

Total rent of South End

Rents of the Hamlet of Biggar, per annum. In money and beast of a year old 20s. In provisions, 14 quarters of wheat 112s. 14 quarters of barley 70s. 48 quarters of oates 41. 16s. carriage of xx. cart of peat 10s, 24 hens 2s. and 12 geese 28.

Rents of the Hamlet of Northscale. In money 16s. In provisions, 6 quarters of wheat 40s. 6 quarters of barley gos. 44 quarters of oates 41. 8s. x. year-old sterks

Sheep of a year old.