[From Annals of Kirk Christ Lezayre]

CHAPTER XVI - THE INCOME OF THE LIVING: GLEBE AND HOUSE

LEZAYRE was what was known as a " Vicarage of Pension " -that is, the Priory of Whithern took the tithe and paid the Vicar a stipend. The " Vicars of Pension " were the poorest class of clergy, being miserably paid by the monks or Bishop who owned the parochial tithe.¹

In 1368 the Vicar of Malew complained to Pope Urban V that the Abbot of Rushen had retained the revenues of his church worth about _64o a year and only assigned him six.marks (£4) and at the time this arrangement was made, six marks would go further than twenty did at that time.2

In 1499 we find the laity striving to protect the parochial clergy from the exactions of the spiritual barons and monks. The payment of corbes or death-bed presents pressed heavily on the parochial clergy as well as the laity.

The question of the legality of these charges was laid before the Deemsters, who summoned a jury of six clergymen and six laymen to fix the corbes, if any, of the clergy, and twenty-four laymen to fix the corbes to be paid by the laity. The former jury found that the " Vicars of Pensions " ought not to pay any corbes,3 but that "All Viccars of Thirds shall pay corbes, if they have them free, viz: One pair Bedstocks, a Portasses, his Board and Tressell, a Chaire and a Forme, a Spoone if he have it, a Pott or a Pann, a Broach and a Pair of Goberts of Iron, and Rockentree, if it be to be had."4 " Vicars of Thirds " were better off, as they received a portion of the tithe.

The clerical jurors were Sir Wm. Inch, Sir Phillip Skillicorne, Sir Huan Norris, Sir James Clerk, Sir Thomas Stevenson, Sir John Norris. No mention is made of their parishes. A Thomas Clerk was Vicar of Lezayre about this time.

We find this question of corbes still troubled the " Vicars of Thirds " more than two centuries later. There were disputes between the widows or executors of incumbents and their successors. At Convocation, held on June 12th, 1712, it was decided in the cases of Mr. Robinson, late Vicar of Kk. Arbory and Mr. Evan Gill, late Vicar of Kk. Marown, that their executors, etc., shall pay ten shillings in each case to their successors in full settlement. " Wch ten shillings is to be laid out to buy a Book or Books at the discretion of the Ordinary, for the use of the successors for ever, and the same to be observed from time to time hereafter among such clergy as are by law obliged to pay tithes."

" Vicars of Pension " had the privilege of a fishing-boat tithe free, as is shown by the following. In 1580 Donald (probably a Proctor) sued Sir Wm. Crow for 2/- for the tithe of his fishingboat. He recovered nothing " But it was declared by the Deemster to be Law ... that every Vicarr or parson of Penson may have a choice boat tyth free within his parish."'

The dissolution of the monasteries did not improve the finncial position of the " Vicars of Pension." Toward the middle of the I 7th century we find that nine or ten parishes were worth Ir4 (probably including all " Vicarages of Pension "), one or two £40 (rectories), Andreas C6o, and the rest C20 (Vicarages of Thirds). Under Lord Fairfax these stipends were greatly increased? Edward Crow, of Lezayre, received an additional grant of llo-almost double his original stipend and his son, Charles, C30 for officiating in the Chapel of Castletown.3

In 1663 Bishop Barrow stated that " The poverty of the clergy . their livings not amounting to above five or six pounds per annum, forced them to engage in all mechanical courses, even in keeping of ale-houses, to procure a livelihood."' The keeping of alehouses continued and, four years later, he issued the following injunction:

" Having had informacon that severall Clergie men in this Island doe, contrarie to ancient Canons of ye Church, and ye present constitucon and commands of our owne Church, disgrace theire Callinge and pstitute yer houses (well should be as schooles of Discipline to the rest of theire pishes) to Irregular and disorderly meetings by vendinge ayle and beere and keeping victuallinge Houses. These are to require all Ministers within the Isle aforesaid to forbeare this unhansome and undecent Course so inconsistante with the Dignity of yer pfession and see contrary to that studious retirement they are obliged to by it. And yf any shall hereafter be found guilty of this sordid indecencie he shall for the first tyme be suspended from his office and benefices. And for the second made incapable of any spirituall preferment in this Island.-1

Bishop Barrow by the exercise of his personal influence with the King obtained a grant of fioo a year payable out of the excise, for the " better maintenance of the poor Vicars and Schoolmasters." This was known as the " Royal Bounty."2 In 1685 £17 a year was regarded as a competence. In that year it was arranged that such ministers " as had already L17 arising to them out of the rents and perquisites of their livings should rest therewith contented . . . but such as have not soe, should be made up to £17." At that time the income of Lezayre amounted to C6the least of all save Braddan which had only 15.3 In 1725 the Impropriate Tithe Fund was paying the Vicar a stipend of 44 6s. 8d. along with a grant of 44.4 The total income at that period seems to have been about ~25 without a house.'

The following petition of Rev. Henry Allen, appointed in 1713/14 is of interest :

" That since your Petr became Vr of this Parish (a Vicarage of Pension) he finds that by an Antient Law there is three pounds and a noble stipend settled upon him as such; and not only so, but by ye same antient Law he is privileged to have four nobles of his sd stipend in Tythe at the antient rate if he thought it conduced to his advantage. Which Priviledge, tho' for many years neglected to be made use of by your Petr's predeceswrs, yet yr Petr humbly conscious that their indifference can be no barr to him or Succsrs' Right (if of any advantage: as your Petr really supposes it must be to a Vicr destitute of those useful priviledges which a Vicr of Third has) since there is still an antient standing Law in his favr, never enervated by any subsequent act or deed; therefore yr Petr humbly craves (since the discontinuance of the use of the above priviledge has necessitated him to take this Method to come by what he is yet persuaded of is his right) that you will be pleased to take it to consideration, etc., etc."

This petition is referred to in the Acts of Convocation, June 9th, 1715

" Mr. Henry Allen Vicr of Lezaire having petitioned for 4 Tithes (as he is a Vicar of Pension) according to the Statute, in lieu of 4 nobles of his stipend. It appears yt there was an Allowance (for that privilege) made to the Vicr of that Parish in the Augmentation and Impropriations to supply that defect." With regard to the Act pleaded by the Rev. Henry Allen, Sir James Gell, Attorney General, states :1

" In the Ancient Book of Spiritual Laws and Customs it is declared 2 that ' it was accustomed that all instituted vicars of pension, heretofore having five marks stipend, should have four nobles in Tithes of the old sum at least.' It is difficult to understand this law, but I presume it was intended to make better provision for the vicars. Probably it meant that in the case of any vicar not having a stipend of more than five marks (3. 6. 8.), the rector (whether ecclesiastical or lay) was to assign to the vicar tithes to the value of at least four nobles (5,1. 6. 8), in augmentation of the stipend.

I find by reference to ' Isle of Man Charities ' that, in 2827 the Bishop paid stipends as follows:-Braddan, ~1. 15. o; German, £20; and Jurby ~1. T7. o; but each of these parishes had the Tithes of four quarterlands also; and that the Duke of Atholl, then the impropriator, paid the following stipends:-Lezayre, ~2. 16. 8; Malew, ~I7, 2. o; and Rushen, ~6. 17. Ij.3 All these payments were in English money, except the marks and nobles, which I presume are Manx currency. It would look as if the Bishop had acted in conformity with the law by making the augmentation, and that the abbot or his successor, the impropriator, had not.

I have always considered that the vicars of pension of the parishes of which the Crown is impropriator, have a fair claim for an increase of stipend from the Tithe rent charge of their parishes which is paid to the Crown. The livings were augmented under the Tithe Commutation Act, but at the expense of the Bishop, not of the Crown. The Augmentations were provided out of the Tithes of the See."

The Crown still pays the Vicar of Lezayre the annual sum of £2 17s. 2d. This represents the stipend paid by the Priory of Whithern, and the impropriators afterwards.

Under Bishop Hildesley (1755-72) the income of the Vicarages amounted from C30 to Z5o. This was largely due to the Bishop appointing the Clergy as his Proctors for collecting the tithe whereby they got a percentage.4 Lezayre still remained almost the poorest living. In the Visitation of 1766 the Vicar-John Gill-stated in the reference to repairs to the Vicarage, etc., that " when the present Vicar agreed with his predecessor he was then ignorant that the stipend of Lezayre was so very small as f27p. ann. besides the lands belonging to the Vicarage, which is a bare competency for a subsistence, or he would not have taken such a burden on him as to repair the said houses had he known the sd stipend was so low."

Bishop Richmond, 1773-1780, altered his predecessor's arrangements and let the tithes by auction, thus depriving the Clergy of the fees. His action caused much dissatisfaction among both Clergy and Laity.'

The Clergy were liable to have special imposts laid upon them as the following items show.

1641. At a Tynwald Court held on June 24th, " it was agreed upon, and by the whole Court and 24 Keyes ordered that for & towards the good & charitable work of building Douglas Chappell the sum of four score pounds be collected as follows. The Govr £4, Compr & Water Bailiff £2 apiece, Deemsters £4 apiece, Keyes 10s. apiece, the Bopp £20, Archdeacon £5, Parson of Kk. Bride 30s. Six other Clergymen 2os. apiece. and 50s. collected from amongst the rest of the Clergy. Every farmer to pay 6d. out of every quarterland." The Cotters were to be assessed to aid the poor farmers.2

1643. A troop of Horse was raised for home defence, the cost to be met by subscriptions. As far as the Clergy were concerned these were compulsory and the Bishop had to levy the tax equally on them.3

1646. The tenants had to victual the garrisons in time of war. The Clergy had to bring a proportion of meal as should be agreed upon among themselves. This order was repeated in 1647, 1649,

1661. The Clergy had to pay their share towards providing i,ooo half pikes.'

1650. Cess of 10s. per Quarterland was levied for powder. The Clergy had to contribute in some competent manner according to their estate.5

The Tithe Commutation Act was passed in 1839. This fixed the value of tithe on a seven years average and every Vicar whether of Thirds or of Pension-received (III 8s. od. This greatly-needed reform did away with much friction and greatly improved the financial position of the Clergy. With the fall of tithe (by 1898 for 041 Ss. od. only about £100 was received) the Vicar of Lezayre with the others was reduced to a difficult position. Bishop Straton raised the Manx Church Sustentation Fund which aimed at raising all livings to f200.

After the war of 1914-18 though tithe, which had never been stabilised in the Island, had risen, the reduction of the purchasing power of money again reduced the value of the living. In 1927 the Diocesan representatives raised the question of the poverty of the Manx Clergy in the Church Assembly, with the result that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were given power to extend their system of grants to the Island. Lezayre with a population of over i,ooo received a grant sufficient to raise the income to £375 with tithe at par. As tithe kept falling, an additional grant was made. At present the net value is about 350.

Footnotes

1 Moore, History, p. 348.

2 Moore, Dioc. Hist., p. 67.

3 Ibid, p. 90, vide footnote for date.

4 Statutes, vol. I, pp. 6, 7.

1 B. of P., vol. B.

2 Moore, Dioc. Hist., p. 134.

3 Moore, N. & D., p. 20.

4 Moore, Dioc. Hist., p. 157.

Moore, Dioc. Hist., p. 157.

2 Ibid, p. 161..

3 Ibid, p. 162.

4 Talbot, The Priory of Whithern, pp. 18, 19.

5 The Old Historians, Manx Soc., vol. XVIII, p. 111.

1 Memoranda as to Tithe Redemption, 1894, p, 8.

2 Statutes, vol. I, p. 40.

3 These are the six Vicarages of Pension. 4 Moore, Hist., p. 667.

1 Moore, Dioc. Hist., p. 255.

2 R.P., p. 129.

3 Ibid, p. 136. Liber Scacc. 4 Ibid, p. 145.

5 Ibid, p. 156.