Chapter XVI: Monastic Economics
Among the many tenants whose names are recorded in the rental book, there is one who attracts special attention, and who rendered for his land service more valuable than the days’ harrowing or ploughing exacted from his neighbours. This was a sculptor of the name of Thomas Hector, to whom Abbot Henry Crichton let, at a moderate rent, the lands of Nether Crossflat, lying to the east of Paisley, and not far from the Monastery where he was called to exercise his art, and where specimens of his workmanship may still be seen. The notice of this craftsman is as follows:—
“Memorandum—That the place which is called Nether Crossflat is let to Thomas Hector, sculptor, for twenty shillings, and all use and wont as the place was formerly held by Robert Slater, with the subjoined condition, that the said Thomas will hold himself ready and prepared to the said Abbot and Convent in all that concerns his art as a sculptor, and shall receive no other work pertaining to his art without obtaining leave of the Abbot and Convent, and while he is required by the Abbot and Convent to perform the work of a sculptor at the Monastery, he shall entirely lay aside whatever he has in hand and come back within a month to the work at the Monastery, under pain of forfeiting this, his lease, and, beside, penalty of a hundred shillings.
It was in 1460 that the Abbot let Nether Crossflat to the sculptor, and he lived there for many years, the last notice of him is forty-two years after the preceding entry. He is called familiarly “Ald,” or old Hector. In 1502 his land was let to another :—
“Crossflat, that ald Hector brukyt, the twenty shilling land of the same, on the east side of the common beyond the dyke, set to George Houston.”
In all the leases given, it is worthy of note, there is but one reservation of game, namely, of hares and rabbits:—
“One part of the Nether Ward, namely, the five acres called Brown Holm, with two acres lying opposite Brown's acre, is let to Peter Algeo, paying annually five bolls of barley, reserving to ourselves hares and rabbits found in the said land.—28 July, 1554.”
The Abbey derived considerable revenue from annuals in payments that were made them, either in commutation of certain dues, or in the way of pension or fine. They received a pension from the Monastery of Crossraguel, in payment of expenses incurred by the Abbot of Paisley in his visitation, and the fine of 20 shillings imposed on the laird of Achinleck, for his brutal usage of one of the monks, continued to be paid regularly by his successors until the dissolution of the Monastery. They had also property in Glasgow, from which they drew small sums, and a house called domus monachorum, or house of the monks, probably the tenement which Abbot Roger purchased for them in the Rotten Row of Glasgow, after the English had burned the Abbey. The following is a list of their annuals in various parts :—
Houston, 6s. 8d.
RENFREW.
Porterfield, 6s. 8d.
The Monkdyk in Renfrew, 5s.
Berlymo Montgomery, 8s.
John Cunnock, 12s.
Wilzram Snap, 8s.
The Mill of Renfrew, 13s. 4d.
The Annual of Ruglen, 10s. ld.
GLASGOW.
The house at the Wynd head.
Master Thomas, lease of the Stockwell, 5s.
Maryon Scott, 5s.
The Inn before the Blackfriars, 13s. 4d.
Thom. Walcar and Wilzam Baxter, 2s. 6d.
KYLE IN AYRSHIRE.
Adamton, 40s.
Auchinleck, 20s.
Corseraguel, £6 13s. 4d.
Corsbe, 8s. 4d.
Glebe of Killenan in Argyle, 40s.
Stralachlau in Argyle, 40s.
[10] Page 6 original MS.
[11] See ante.