Medieval Sourcebook:
The Pipe Roll of the Bishopric of Winchester, 1208-1209
Downton: William FitzGilbert, and Joselyn the reeve, and Aylward the cellarer
render account of £7.12s.11d. for arrears of the previous year. They paid and are quit.
And of £3s.2s.2d. for landgafol. And of 12d. by increment of tax for a park which
William of Witherington held for nothing. And of 2s.6d. by increment of tax for half a
virgate of land which James Oisel held without service. And of 19s. for 19 assize pleas in
the new market. And of 10s. by increment of tax for 10 other assize pleas in the market
this year. Sum of the whole tax £36.14s.8d.
In quittance of one reeve, 5s. In quittance for repairing the bridge, 5s.; of one
forester, 4s.; of two haywards from Downton and Wick, 4s.; of one hayward from
Witherington, 20d.; of fourteen drivers from Downton, Wick, and Nunton, for the year,
28s.; of two drivers from Witherington for the year, 4s.4d.; of two drivers for half the
year, 2s.; of one swineherd, of one neaterd, of one cowherd, for the year, 6s.; of three
shepherds from Wick, Barford, and Nunton, for the year, 6s.; of one shepherd from
Witherington, for the year, 20d.; of four customary tenants, for the year, 8s. Sum of the
quittances, 74s.8d. Remainder £33.
Livery: For livery to John the dean, for Christmas tax, £7.10s. by one tally.
To the same for Easter tax, £8 by one tally. To the same for St. John's tax, £8 by one
tally. To the same for St. Michael's tax, £8.10s. by one tally. To the same for corn sold
in the field £26 by two tallies. To the same for standing corn, purchases, and cheeses,
£20.16s.10d. To the same for wool, £6.13s.4d. by one tally. To the same for tallage £39
by one tally. Sum: £134.10s.2d.
Expenses: For ironwork of 8 carts for year and one cart for half the year,
32s.10d. For shoeing of 2 plough-horses for the year, 2s.8d. For wheels for carts, 2s.9d.
For 6 carts made over, 12d. before the arrival of the carpenter. For wages of the smith
for the year, 8s.6d. For one cart bound in iron bought new, 5s.7d. For wheels purchased
for one cart to haul dung, 12d. For leather harness and trappings, iron links, plates,
halters, 14d. For purchase of 2 ropes, 3d. For purchase of 2 sacks, 8d. For purchase of 5
locks for the granary, 11d. For making 2 gates for the sheepfold, 2s. For one gate for the
farm yard, 12d. For an axe and tallow purchased and for repairing the spindles of the mill
for the year, 6s.10d. For one millstone purchased for the mill 24s. For making one gate
near the mill, 12d. For meat prepared in the larder, 3s. For beer bought for cleaning
carcasses, 2s.1d. For digging 158 perches of land around the pasture in the marsh,
32s.11d.; for each perch 2d.1ob. For the dovecote newly made, 22s.11d.1ob. For cutting 100
thick planks for flooring both dispensary and butlery, 6s.3d. For nails or pegs bought for
planking beyond the cellar, 16d. For enclosing the garden by making 2 gates, 6s.7d.1ob.
For digging in the gardens, 8s.5d. For the winter work of 55 carts, 9s.2d. For the Lent
work of 49 carts, 8s.6d. For spreading 6 acres with dung, 6d. For threshing 24 quarters of
wheat at Mardon for seed, 5s. For winnowing the same, 7d. For winnowing 36 quarters of
grain for seed, 3s.9d. For threshing 192 quarters of grain 32s.; for each quarter 2d. For
threshing 20 quarters of mixed corn, 2s.6d. For threshing 42 quarters of barley, 3s.6d.
For threshing 53 quarters of oats, 2s.2d.1ob. For hauling gravel to the bridge and
causeway, 4d. For cost of dairy, viz., 3 tines of salt, cloth, and pots, 6s.10d. For
purchase of 17 oxen, £5.13s. For hoeing 140 acres, 5s.10d. For wages of two carters, one
neatherd, for the year, 9s. For wages of one carpenter for the year, 6s.8d. For wages of
one dairy woman, 2s.6d. For payment of mowers of the meadow at Nunton, 6d. For 8 sheep
purchased, 8s. For wages of one neatherd from Nunton, 12d. For carrying 2 casks of wine by
Walter Locard, in the time of Martinmas, 8s.2d. For the carrying of 2 casks of wine from
Southampton to Downton by the seneschal, 3s.6d. at the feast of St. Lawrence. For digging
22 perches in the farmyard, 6s.5d.; for each perch 3d.1ob. For allowance of food of Robert
of Lurdon, who was sick for 2I days, with his man, 5s.3d. For allowance of food to Sewal
who was caring for 2 horses of the lord bishop for 3 weeks, 21d. For allowance of food for
Roger Walselin, for the two times he made gifts to the lord king at Clarendon, 4s.9d. by
two tallies. For allowance of food of Master Robert Basset, for 3 journeys, 9s.3d.1ob. For
livery of William FitzGilbert, 60s.10d. For 30 ells of canvas purchased for laying over
the wool, and 2 cushions prepared for the court, 5s. For 8 sheep purchased, with lambs,
8s. Sum: £2s.23d. Sum of livery and expenses: £159.12s.1d. And there is owing:
£5.9s.4d.1ob.
Produce of Granary: The same render account of 221 and a half quarters and 1
strike from all the produce of grain; and of 24 quarters brought from Mardon. Sum: 245 and
a half quarters and 1 strike. For sowing 351 acres, 127 quarters. For bread for the lord
bishop, 18 and a half quarters delivered to John de Dispensa by three tallies. For the
balance sold, 110 quarters and 1 strike. The same render account of 38 and a half quarters
from all the produce of small corn. For the balance sold, all. The same render account of
29 quarters and 1 strike from all the produce of mixed corn. For seeding 156 acres, 53
quarters and 1 strike. For bread for 3 autumnal works, 9 quarters. For the balance sold,
27 quarters. The same render account of 178 and a half quarters from all the produce of
barley. For sowing 102 and a half acres, 49 and a half quarters. For payment for carts, 1
quarter. For payment for hauling dung, 2 quarters. For allowance of food of two carters,
one carpenter, one neatherd, one dairy woman, for the year, 32 and a half quarters. For
feeding hogs in the winter, 2 quarters. For the balance sold, 91 and a half quarters. It
is quit.
The same render account of 311 quarters and 2 bushels from all the produce of oats. In
sowing 221 and a half acres, 110 and a half quarters. For prebends of the lord bishop and
lord king, on many occasions, 131 and a half quarters and 2 bushels, by five tallies. For
prebends of Roger Wakelin, 2 and a half quarters and 3 bushels. For prebends of Master
Robert Basset, 3 and a half quarters and 1 bushel. For provender of 2 horses of the lord
bishop and 1 horse of Richard Marsh, for 5 weeks, 5 and a half quarters and 2 bushels. For
provender of 2 horses of the lord bishop who stayed 16 nights at Downton, 4 quarters. For
that sent to Knoyle, 18 quarters. For provender of 1 horse of Robert of Lurdon for 3
weeks, 1 and a half quarters. For prebends of two carters 7 quarters and 2 bushels. For
the balance sold, 12 quarters. And there remains 14 quarters and 1 strike. The same render
account of 6 and a half quarters from the whole produce of beans. For planting in the
garden half a quarter. For the balance sold, 6 quarters. It is quit.
The same render account of 4 quarters and 1 strike from all the produce of peas. For
sowing 6 acres, 1 and a half quarters. For the balance sold 2 and a half quarters and 1
strike. It is quit.
The same render account of 4 quarters from all the produce of vetches. For feeding pigs
in the winter, all. It is quit.
Beasts of Burden: The same render account of 104 oxen remaining from the
previous year. And of 2 yoked from useless animals. And of 1 from the will of Robert Copp.
And of 17 purchased. Sum: 124. Of living ones sold, 12. Of dead, 21. Sum: 33. And there
remain 91 oxen. The same render account of 2 goats remaining from the previous year. All
remain.
The same render account of 19 cows remaining from the previous year. And of 7 yoked
from useless animals, and of 1 found. Sum: 27. By death, I1 By killing, brought for the
need of the lord bishop at Cranbourne, 2. Sum: 3. And there remain 24 cows. The same
render account of 7 heifers and 2 steers remaining from the previous year. In yoked cows,
7 heifers. In yoked oxen, 2 bulls. Sum: 9.
The same render account of 12 yearlings remaining from the previous year. By death, 1.
There remain 11, of which 5 are female, 6 male.
The same render account of 13 calves born this year from cows, because the rest were
sterile. In tithes, 1. There remain 12.
The same render account of 858 sheep remaining from the previous year. And of 47 sheep
for the payment of herbage, after birth, and before clipping. And of 8 bought before
birth. And of 137 young ewes mixed with two-year-olds. Sum: 1050. In live ones sold at the
time of Martinmas, 46. In those dead before birth, 20. In those dead after birth and
before shearing, 12. Sum: 78. And there remain 972 sheep.
The same render account of 584 wethers remaining from the previous year. And of 163
wethers mixed with two-year-olds. And of 16 rams from Lindsey, which came by brother
Walter before shearing. Sum: 763. In living ones sold at the time of Martinmas, 27
wethers, 10 rams. Paid to the men of Bishopton before shearing by writ of the seneschal,
20. By death, before shearing, 14. Sum: 71. And there remain 692 sheep.
The same render account of 322 old sheep remaining, with lambs from the previous year.
By death before shearing, 22. And there remain 300; whence 137 are young ewes, mixed with
sheep, and 163 males, mixed with wethers.
The same render account of 750 lambs born from sheep this year because 20 were sterile,
and 30 aborted. In payment of the smith, 2; of shepherds, 3. In tithes, 73. In those dead
before shearing, 105. Sum: 181. And there remain 569 lambs.
The same render account of 1664 large sheep-skins whence 16 were from the rams of
Lindsey. In tithes, 164. In payment of three shepherds, 3. In the balance sold 1497 skins
with 16 skins from Lindsey which made 11 pondera.
The same render account of 569 lamb skins. In the balance sold, all, which made 1 and a
half pondera.
The same render account of 138 cheeses from arrears of the previous year. And of 19
small cheeses. And of 5 larger ones from the arrears of the previous year. And of 273
cheeses which were begun the 6th of April and finished on the feast of St. Michael, both
days being counted. And they made cheeses two by two for 96 days, viz. from the 27th April
to the vigil of the feast of St. Peter in Chains, both days being counted. Sum: 435
cheeses. In tithes 27. In payment of a shepherd, and mowers of the meadow from Nunton, 2.
In duty of a carter, 3. In autumnal work, 10. In expenses of the bishop in the kitchen, 2
by one tally. In the balance sold, 133 cheeses, which made 10 heads, from arrears of the
previous year. In the balance sold, 177 cheeses, which made 18 heads in this year. In
expenses of the lord king and lord bishop on the feasts of St. Leonard and St. Martin, 19
small cheeses, and 5 larger ones from the arrears of the previous year. And there remain
52 small cheeses which make one head.
The same render account of 124 hogs remaining from the previous year. And of 29 that
were born of sows. Sum: 153 pigs. In tithes, 2. By death, 9. In those killed for the
larder, 83. Sum: 95 pigs. And there remain 58 pigs. Also 19 suckling pigs. Sum of the
whole: 77 pigs.
The same render account of 48 chickens from arrears of the previous year. And of 258
chickens for cheriset. Sum: 306. In expenses of the lord bishop on the feast of St.
Martin, 36 by one tally. In expenses of the same on the feast of St. Leonard, 106, by one
tally. In expenses of the lord king and bishop on the feast of the Apostles Peter and
Paul, 131 chickens, by two tallies. In allowance for food for Roger Wakelin, 8. In
allowance of food for Master Robert Basset, 4. By death, 21. Sum: 306 chickens. It is
quit.
The same render account of 273 chickens, 27 sticae of eels, 4 suckling pigs,
freed for the expenses of the lord king and bishop.
From the Larder: The same freed for the expenses of the lord bishop meat of 2
cows taken to Cranbourne.
The same render account of 13 sides of bacon, arrears of the previous year. And of 5
oxen and 1 quarter of old beef from arrears of the previous year. And of 84 hogs from
Downton. And of 71 hogs from Mardon. And of 10 hogs from Overton. And of 9 hogs from
High-Clere. And of 14 hogs from Harwell. And of 7 hogs from Knoyle. Sum: 203 hogs, and
meat of 5 oxen and one quarter. In expenses of the lord bishop at the feast of St. Martin,
8 sides of bacon. In expenses of the same at the feast of St. Leonard, 17 sides of bacon,
the meat of 5 oxen, and 1 quarter of an ox. In expenses of the same on the morrow of the
feast of the Holy Cross, delivered to Nicolas the cook, 27 sides of bacon. In expenses of
the lord bishop delivered to the same cook at Knoyle on the Saturday before the feast of
St. Michael, 15 sides of bacon. In expenses of the same and of the lord king on the feast
of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 50 sides of bacon. In allowance of food to Master Robert
Basset on the feast of All Saints, half a side of bacon. In allowance of food to the same
on Wednesday and Thursday before Pentecost, 1 side of bacon. In those sent to Knoyle for
autumnal work, 6 sides of bacon. In three autumnal festivals at Downton, 9 and a half
sides of bacon. Sum: 134 sides of bacon. And there remain 74 sides of bacon.
The same render account of skins, sausages, and offal of the said hogs. In expenses of
the lord king and lord bishop at the feast of St. Leonard, all. Nothing remains.
Source.
From: Hubert Hall, ed., The Pipe Roll of the Bishopric of Winchester, 1208-09,
(London: P. S. King & Son, 1903), pp. 20-23, reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H.
Coulson, A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (New York: The Bruce
Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), pp. 62-68.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by
Prof. Arkenberg.
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© Paul Halsall, September 1998
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
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