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Chapter XVI: Monastic Economics

Achinch is let to James Tat, paying annually fifty-three shillings and fourpence, with twelve poultry, four days in autumn, and a day with harrows and a day cutting grass, and with service and carriage use and wont.”

“Monktonehill five pound eighteen shilling land.—One part is let to Patrick Rese for fifteen shillings and fourpence, two capons, two poultry, two chickens, two loads of coals, half a bed, half a plough, a long carriage, and five days' shearing.—Another part is let to John Osborn at thirty-six shillings, four capons, four poultry, eight chickens, four loads of coals, a riding man, a long carriage, a bed, a plough, and eight days' shearing.”

There was a species of property which is noticed occasionally as the Kirklands or Terra Dominie. They pertained to the churches belonging to the Abbey in various counties. We read of the Kirklands of Largs, Roseneath, Kilpatrick, Achinleck, Legardwood, and others. These were let at a small rent, and are often noticed. The parson of Achinleck enjoyed his own Kirklands, as the following shows:—[4]

“Us, Robert, be the permission of God, Abbot of Paslay, grants us to have rentalled our servant, Sir William Hume, curat of our Kirk of Achinleck, in the whole Kirkland of the same, upon paying therefore yearly as it was wont to do ; and, also, we ordain and make the said William our curat of our said Kirk for all the time of his life, and when the said Sir William may not make service in the parish he shall cause another to make service for him, that shall be sufficient.”

Occasionally the proceeds of the Kirklands went to maintain service either in the church to which they belonged, or in the Abbey. This was the case with those of Eastwood and Neilston, which were appropriated to pious uses.

“Oswald Maxwell[5] rentalled in the chantor's land at the Kirkstyle of the Eastwood, paying, therefor, yearly to the said chantors forty shillings at two terms usual in the year. The Kirkland of Neilstown is assigned to James Young for forty shillings, paying to the chantors of the choir singing to the glory of God in the chapel of the blessed Mary, within the chapter of the Monastery of Paisley.”[6]

There were two chapels belonging to the Abbey, the lands of which were let on similar conditions:—

“The land of the chapel of West Cochny or Warthill[7] is let to William Anderson paying annually thirteen shillings and fourpence, and the said William shall maintain a bed at all times for the use of the poor, and shall keep the chapel in good repair.”

“The chapel land of Boquhanran,[8] let to Will Atkin, paying, therefor, yearly, thirteen shillings and fourpence, with one bed to travellers for God's sake and our founder's, with all freedoms usit of before.”[9]

The tenants of the monks were not allowed to marry without express permission from the Abbot, and paid him a fine even when the permission was granted. Several licenses to contracting parties are to be found in the rental book, similar to the following:—

“The land which she now occupies in Drumgrane is let to Elizabeth Edmonston, and we give leave to the said Elizabeth our license to contract marriage with James Hamilton, notwithstanding all acts and rules of our court to the contrary.”

The monks were kind masters. No cases of eviction or deprivation are recorded. The same lands descended without rise of rent from father to son. Children are held bound to maintain their parents in their old age, and widows are especially cared for, and are occasionally provided with another husband!

“Part of Snawdoun is let to Allan Sunderland, paying annually twenty shillings, but the widow is not to be removed. Langyard to Richard Thomson, on which he will keep Janet Logan, widow by the will of God. The twenty land of Braidfield is let to Findlay M‘Gregor, for Temple, widow of Robert Brison, and we give our consent to the said widow to contract matrimony with the said Findlay.”

[4] Page 54 original MS.

[5] Ibid, page 19.

[6] Ibid, page 149. This is the only notice we have of this chapel.

[7] Ibid, page 109.

[8] Buchanan in Dunbartonshire, where there was probably a chapel dedicated to St. Mirin, by whose name one of the islands on Loch Lomond is called.

[9] Page 113 original MS.