Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Mills belonging to the Bishops of Carlisle in the 14th Century

 

Mills belonging to the Bishops of Carlisle in the 14th Century

Niall C.E.J. O’Brien

 

In medieval times the bishop of a diocese was not just the spiritual head of each diocese but was usually a substantial landowner with estates scattered around the diocese. Just as in each parish the rector used his tithe income and possibly some landed property to pay for the upkeep of the chancel area of a church (where the altar was) and the parishioners funded the nave, so each cathedral church received about half its funding from the bishop’s revenue; mainly his estates but also spiritual dues. In about 1328 the spiritual income of the bishop of Carlisle was at least about £28 19s as some revenue due to the bishop for churches in Northumberland was not included in the accounts.[1] Most medieval estates were called a manor if they had a manorial court to administrate local petty crimes and property transactions. In the 13th and 14th century when arable farming was one of the main forms of agriculture, most, but not all, manors had a manorial mill to grind the wheat and barley into powder for making bread and brewing beer. The tenants of each manor were obliged to grind their corn at the manorial mill but exemptions were sometimes granted to individual tenants.

The bishop of Carlisle, in the north-west corner of England, was owner of a number of estates in the diocese and a few estates outside the diocese such as at Melboure manor in Derbyshire and Horncastle manor in Lincolnshire. The estate income for 1328 amounted to £153 17s 3d but this sum did not include the revenue for Melbourne and Horncastle or that for Bewley and Shap in Westmoreland. The bishop didn’t have a mill on every estate but the mills he did have generated £76 23s 4d of income in a normal year which was a substantial part of the bishop’s overall income.[2]  



Carlisle Cathedral


Multure obligations

The tenants of the manor of Dalston Magna were obliged to multure at the manorial manor to the thirteenth measure.[3] Ten tenants at Cumdivock were to pay multure for the thirteenth part at Dalston mill.[4] The tenants at Caldcotes did not have a uniform obligation. Instead some four tenants were obliged to multure a thirteenth measure at Morton while five other tenants were at a twentieth measure with another sixteen tenants having no declared obligations.[5] At Cummersdale Parva two of the four tenants had multure obligations to the thirteenth part while nothing is said of the other two tenants.[6] Elsewhere in the country, as in the diocese of Carlisle estates, the multure obligation varied from a thirteenth part to a twenty-fourth part. This part was of the grain at the mill was retained by the miller as his income.[7]  

Dalston Magna mill

In 1328 the bishop held a mill at Dalston in Cumbria which in normal times was leased for £32 per annum, but owing to the Scottish war, the rent was reduced to £24 per year. In 1328 Dalston mill was let on lease for three years at 100s per annum with the schoolmaster of Dalston holding the farm.[8] The ordinary tenants of Dalston Magna were obliged to maintain a fourth part of the mill house and pond at Dalston mill along with providing a fourth part of the carriage of millstones and timber to the mill. Some of the customary tenants were also obliged to maintain the mill pond along with ploughing, reaping and carting corn.[9] At Little Dalston (Dalston Parva), Simon de Dalston held 16 bovates of land in return for work service. Among his works was an obligation to carry four cart loads of corn and maintain a fourth part of the mill house and pond along with keeping in repair its carts, stones and timber. The other tenants at Little Dalston held their land by money rent without any work obligations.[10]

At Cardew, John son of William held his land by money rent and work service which included carting 6 to 12 loads of corn, carrying millstones and maintaining an eight part of Dalston mill house and pond.[11] It is not clear if the millstones were acquired locally or from Wales or were among the better stones from France. Depending on the work load anew millstone may be required on a yearly basis.[12] At Cumdivock ten tenants held their land by money rent and work service. Among these services was carting one load of corn or two cart loads without a meal allowance which was redeemed for 18d; and to maintain an eight part of Dalston mill and mill pond with the carriage of millstones and timber as required.[13] 

Cummersdale mill

In normal times Cummersdale mill in Cumbria was leased for 10 marks of rent per year but in 1328, due to the Scottish war, the mill was leased in a three year contract for 100s per year. The local schoolmaster held the farm of Cummersdale mill.[14] The bishop’s mills after grinding the grain went on to make malt for beer and flour to make bread as well as animal feed.[15]

Linstock mill

The accounts for 1328 record a manorial mill at Linstock manor (Cumbria) which was leased for 27 marks (£18) per year. The same accounts also mention two other mills at Linstock which appear to have been unused or in disrepair such that they generated no income. John Collan appears to have been the miller at Linstock.[16]

High Crosby mill

In normal times the manorial mill at High Crosby (Cumbria) was leased for £20 per year. But in 1327 the mill was only rented for £12 13s 4d. In 1328 the rent had increased to 27 marks, or £18, payable in two parts at Midsummer and Michaelmas despite the scribe recording that the mill had suffered from war damage.[17] It is not recorded what type of grain was taken to the bishop’s mills but the more common crops were wheat, barley or rye.[18]

Millers

At Dalston Magna William Lenechild the miller rented a messuage with 1½ acres of land for 20d.[19] In 1328 Joan, the daughter of Robert de Blamir, rented 1½ acres at Dalston Magna from the bishop at 18½ d per year. This land was once held by Joan, daughter of Thomas the miller.[20] At Cummersdale Parva a person called Richard of the Mill held a place and a grange for 3s rent while at Caldecotes he held a half acre at 23d rent.[21] At Linstock manor John Collan the miller rented 12 acres for homage, service and a pound of cumin with suit at the manorial court every three weeks.[22] The millers of rural estates usually held farm land along with their job as a miller to supplement their income as well as give them a job in the seasonal work at some mills.[23]

Fulling mill

In 1328 the bishop of Carlisle had a fulling mill on the River Caldew in Cummersdale Parva. The Caldew mill was rented by Adam Daliwager for 10s per annum. Nothing further is known about Adam Daliwager and his surname does not appear elsewhere in the bishop’s accounts.

Other mills

In addition to the mills owned by the bishop of Carlisle, the bishop also received money by association with mills owned by other people. In Cardew the bishop got 2s from the mill belonging to the lord of Thursby for use of the water course carrying water through the bishop’s land to Thursby mill in Cumbria.[24]

Conclusion

The mills belonging to the bishop of Carlisle were an important part of the income of the bishop. The mills were as important for the local community to help prepare the ingredients for food and drink. These benefits came at a cost and work load with the water courses bringing water to the mill needed maintenance. The mills also needed maintenance work on the millstones, mill wheels and the machinery. Although the tenants were under obligation to use their local mill, in an age of slow transport, even some people carrying their corn to the mill, the local mill was possibly the preferred location. the mills and the estates of the bishop were to help build and maintain the cathedral at Carlisle and even located in the border war area between England and Scotland, the cathedral stands today even if few remains exist of the mills which helped make it possible.  

 

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[1] Storey, R.L. (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle, 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-32, Volume II (Canterbury & York Society, 1995), pp. 1, 3

[2] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, pp. 18, 19, 20

[3] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 3

[4] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 12

[5] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 16

[6] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, pp. 17, 18

[7] Hunt, T.J. (ed.), The medieval customs of the manors of Taunton and Bradford on Tone (Somerset Record Society, Vol. LXVI, 1962), p. xlvi

[8] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 18

[9] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, pp. 3, 4, 5

[10] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 5

[11] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, pp. 8, 9

[12] Hunt (ed.), The medieval customs of the manors of Taunton and Bradford on Tone, p. xlix

[13] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 12

[14] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 18

[15] Hunt (ed.), The medieval customs of the manors of Taunton and Bradford on Tone, p. xlvii

[16] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 19

[17] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 20

[18] Hunt (ed.), The medieval customs of the manors of Taunton and Bradford on Tone, p. xlvii

[19] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 3

[20] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 4. Robert de Blamir held elsewhere at Dalston 2 acres of land and at another place a messuage with 2 bovates of land with another 2 acres of land attached to Dalston church along with land at Cardew, Hawksdale and Cumdivock = Ibid, 843, pp. 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18

[21] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, pp. 16, 18

[22] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 19

[23] Hunt (ed.), The medieval customs of the manors of Taunton and Bradford on Tone, p. xlviii

[24] Storey (ed.), The Register of Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-52, Volume II, no. 843, p. 10

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