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Receipts and Expenses in the Building of Bodmin Church, A.D. 1469 to 1472
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009
Extract
The following account of the receipts and expenses in the rebuilding of the parish church of Bodmin was accidentally discovered in an old chest, in the parvise over the church-porch, early in the present century. It is neatly written in a book now severed into loose sheets, which, although preserved with great care, is becoming rapidly reduced to dust. There are discrepancies in the sums of the items, owing probably to the defective state of the manuscript. With the exception of the extension of the contractions, in italics, the whole is given as it was found, without any attempt at correction.
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- Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1875
References
page 1 note * Henry Gurlyn was vicar, but he died shortly after the commencement of the work. Shields bearing his arms, some of them unfinished, are on the roof-bosses in the nave.
page 1 note † " Mores," a word still in common use in Cornwall for the roots of trees.
page 1 note ‡ Roof-bosses display shields of Lucombe arms. Barth Trote's merchant's mark is carved on bench-ends.
page 2 note * " feleship," company.
page 2 note † Couple-close, a pair of spars for a roof.
page 2 note ‡ gift-money.
page 2 note § " Sir," a common title of the clergy, as Shakespeare's Sir Hugh Evans. William Bray was instituted on the death of Gurlyng, March 28,1470. See Maclean's Trigg Minor, p. 147.
page 2 note ‖ value.
page 2 note ¶ Many remains of a window containing incidents in our Lord's life are still in the east window in the north aisle at St. Kew, and said by tradition to have belonged originally to Bodmin.
page 2 note ** A contribution from the Gilds (ildis) of max for the Church.
page 3 note * Probably the old iron from the windows.
page 3 note † gave.
page 3 note ‡ These receipts were probably fines.
page 3 note § arrears. "He'll grant the tribute, send the arrearages." Cymbeline, Act. ii. Scene 4.
page 4 note * " Crest" and " crecis," tiles to cover the ridge of the roof.
page 4 note † Hinge s are still sometimes called twists.
page 4 note ‡ gear, stuff.
page 4 note § Ildis, Guild or Gild. The festival of the " Ryding Gilds," held on the Sunday and Monday after the feast of St. Thomas the Martyr (Becket), July 7th, is thought by some to have been established in commemoration of the recovery of St. Petrock's bones in 1177; by others to have been a continuation of the old Floralia.
Having elected a " steward," the trading gilds, masters and apprentices, bearing the emblems of their trades, with the town's folk generally, attended church on the Sunday, and on their return distributed the church-ale from house to house, receiving from the inhabitants contributions according to their means. On the following day the gilds went in procession on horseback (whence the name) to the Priory, where they received " garlands gay." After this the sports began, and the revelry became " fast and furious." In 1583 we find an order by the Mayor and masters of the shoemakers " that at the ryding every master and journeyman shall give their attendance to the steward, and likewise bring him to the church upon pain of 12 d for every master, aud 6 d. for every journeyman, for every such default, to the dis cretion of the masters of the occupation."
page 6 note * Bodmin has always been famous for its cordwainers or shoemakers.
page 6 note † Millers are now sometimes called " Millards."
page 9 note * Ash-trees in the Church-yard.
page 9 note † Money collected for Trinity lights or candles.
page 10 note * goose.
page 10 note † lamb.
page 11 note * Fairs, markets, games, &c, were held in church-yards in early times, generally on the north side of the church. In the statutes, 13 Edw. I., stat. ii. c. 6," the King commandeth and forbiddeth that from henceforth neither fairs nor markets be kept in Church yards for the honour of the Church." Plays and games seem to have lasted much later, for we find in the Visitation Articles of the Archdeacon of Suffolk i n 1638, " Have any playes, feasts, banquets, suppers, church-ales, drinkings, temporal courts or leets, lay juries, musters, exercise of dauncing, stoole ball, foot ball, or the like, or any other profane usage been suffered to be kept in your Church, Chappel, or Church yard?"
page 11 note † The grase tabelle is perhaps the plinth or course of stones immediately above the surface of the ground, or may be the string-course below the battlements.
page 11 note ‡ A sieve.
page 12 note * Seapelyng, rough-hewing.
page 13 note * Contract for the pillars.
page 14 note * Permission to quarry stones.
page 14 note † Waggoners.
page 15 note * Chapitaries, capitals of the columns.
page 15 note † " shet " = " shut " = " closed " (Halliwell) ; " schetyng," Prompt. Parv. " closing," a closing up.
page 15 note ‡ This steeple was destroyed by lightning in 1699.
page 15 note § Berge or Verge,—the projecting slate or tile overhanging the gable of a building.
page 15 note ‖ Punyon, a gable.
page 16 note * " hurdol" = " harle," hair or wool (Halliwell).
page 16 note † Fet, fetched.
page 17 note * Raising and covering.
page 17 note † forest bill, same as lond leve, above.
page 17 note ‡ Syntern or centre, a frame of wood to support an arch in building.
page 17 note § The cost of lime averaged 3d. per bushel, 1s. per barrel, 1s. 4d. per quarter from 4s. to 4s. 5d. per pipe, and 12s. per last.
page 18 note * Propping the roof of the chancel, which was not tnen restored.
page 18 note † wainscot.
page 20 note * The riding day.
page 21 note * Knottis, bosses.
page 21 note † " stodel ?" = stadell, a support. This, however, is very doubtful, for the explanation does not agree with the use of the same word four lines below. It is probably some ancient local term.
page 22 note * loads.
page 22 note † Laths for plastering.
page 22 note ‡ pavior.
page 23 note * Wild boars; figures of wild boars for some ornament, perhaps armorial.
page 23 note † Helid, covered or roofed.
page 24 note * Ashburton.
page 25 note * Ashburton.
page 30 note * The Vicar appears to have given a year's income, 27l. 8s. 9d., deducting from it the Curate's salary, 61. 13s. 4d.
page 31 note * See note, page 4. Jantacle, another name for the Ridyng and sports; from jaunt.
page 42 note * Erased with pen.
page 43 note * Erased.
page 48 note * Probably a pall and trappings for burials.
page 49 note * Erased.