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]
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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of post
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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
