Manuscripts and Special Collections
Ma B 165/49 : The ‘Easter Book’, summary of Easter dues and small tithes payable to the vicar of Laxton, 1741
A transcript taken from the Easter Book of the Vicar of Laxton and Laxton Moorhouse Shewing the Nature of the Vicarial Tythe and Manner of its payment before His Grace the Duke of Kingston Rented it of the Reverend John Warrell the present Vicar…
Memorandum for House Duties every man pays three halfpence Duty for his house. - Offerings two pence for every person that is above Sixteen years of age. - A New Milch'd Cow three halfpence - for every Old Milch'd Cow or Stropper one halfpenny - for every Dole in the Meadow one halfpenny - Mainport [bread given to the vicar in lieu of tithes], threehalf pence each - Each Oxgang four pence - Bees each swarm one penny - for every young Fole one penny - For every Sheep Skin, that dies between Candlemass & Clipping time one halfpenny - each Servant five pence p[er] pound for the Wages - Plaister one shilling for every Ten Tuns, if taken in kind the fifth part. The Wind Mill to pay two shillings. If any Sheep be Bought into the Parish before Cliping time to pay four pence p[er] score p[er] month - If any Sheep be sold between Candlemas and Cliping Day to pay one penny for each sheep - If they be Couples [ewe and lamb] to pay one penny halfpenny Each Couple. Tythe Eggs, for every Cock three Eggs, and for every Hen two Eggs, if the hen sitts she is payable. Herbage for depastured Cattle.
Moorhouse
For every new Milch'd Cow two pence - and every Stropper one penny - Eggs two for each Hen and none for the Cock - House Duty three halfpence - Offerings for every person above Sixteen Years old two pence - Every Foal one penny - Bees every Swarm one penny - John Herring a Mainport three halfpence. Richard Hardy D[itt]o three halfpence - Herbage for Depastured Cattle - The Tythe of sheep is here the very same in every particular as at Laxton - But in this Liberty and precinct of Moorhouse, the Vicar hath all the Tythe both great and small
As to the manner of tything piggs and Lambs both at Laxton and Moorhouse, it is thus. Vizt. if the Owner hath but five piggs or five Lambs he pays the Vicar but half a One, if above five he pays a whole One, if he hath ten he pays no more, the Vicar pays the owner a halfpenny each for so many as falls short of ten, if the Owner hath fifteen piggs or Lambs he pays the Vicar one and a half, if above fifteen he pays him two, if Twenty no more, but then the Vicar pays the Owner an half pence apiece for so many as there is wanting of twenty.
And the Vicar hath Tythe of all the Orchards and Dove-Coats both of Laxton and Moorhouse, and also Tythe in Kind of all the wool growing in both places…
The manner of Tything Chickens, Geese, Ducks, Turkeys and Pidgeons is the same
as the manner of Tything piggs and Lambs, as above described, and other Vicarill
Tythes both at Laxton and Moorhouse, is that of Hops and Rape, but of these the
Vicar hath no more than the Fifteenth part in Kind.
