He wondered about Sara’s claim on Joce. At least he might be able to help there… Even if the wedding wasn’t official, hadn’t been held at the church door, Sara still had a claim. Nob could bear witness to that Joce had no family, did he?
It was a little later, into the forenoon, that a clerk appeared in the doorway.
‘Quick, a beef pie! I am due in the abbot’s court.’
‘Master, I have one almost ready for you,’ said Nob calmly. ‘And I might be able to let you have it for a discount.’
‘Discount?’ The clerk’s eyes sharpened. ‘That sounds expensive.’
‘It could prove a nice little earner for a good master-at-law,’ Nob said dreamily. ‘Helping a wealthy widow. A young, attractive, blonde, wealthy widow.’
The clerk leaned upon the counter. ‘Tell me more…’ he invited.
Glossary
Abbot’s lodging: A separate building in the western wall of Tavistock’s monastic plot.
Acolyte: The term denoting an inferior church officer, usually an assistant or sometimes a novice.
Alms: Donations of food, or money, or clothing to the poor and needy, for example beggars at the abbey’s gates or the lepers living at the maudlin.
Almoner: The monk whose duty it was to distribute alms to the poor.
Calefactory: A room in the convent set aside for relaxation. Here, the monks could sit with a mug of ale and let their aches and pains drift away.
Centenar: In the King’s Host, the officer in charge of a hundred men.
Coining: This was the process by which tin was assayed or tested. It was taken to a coinage town (e.g. Tavistock), where it was weighed, a corner was chipped off and checked, and the amount of tax due was called out and paid before the ingot was stamped ready for sale to one of the waiting pewterers. We know that there were five such coinings per annum at Tavistock in 1303.
Commission of Array: The feudal host was available to the King for his wars. As a matter of duty, all able-bodied males aged between sixteen and sixty were inspected by the Commissioners of Array, and the best taken, in theory. In practice, like so much of medieval life, corruption was rife.
Dorter: Monks’ dormitory.
Frankpledge: Every boy over the age of twelve was expected to swear an oath that he would keep the peace himself, but he also had a duty to prevent others from being fractious. By the terms of this pledge, if a crime was committed, the whole community was penalised.
‘Gardy Loo!’:This was the cry of ‘Gardez l’eau!’ or ‘Watch out! Water!’ which housekeepers roared before emptying their chamber pots into the street. See kennel below!
Host: Under ancient feudal law each man in the kingdom must arm himself with those weapons suitable for his status, and present himself whenever called. These men, whose attendance was based upon their loyalty to their master, whether it be the knight, his lord, or the King himself, had to serve a set number of days, usually living off die land, and then might return home.
Indentures: Because the host was growing unwieldy and insufficient for a task such as the defence of assets in France, for example, indentures were gradually introduced. An indentured man could expect board and lodging, pay while fighting, a uniform and other perks. A contract was written and then tom in two, one half kept by the lord, one by the serving warrior. The indentures were the tear-marks in both halves which could later be matched to prove the validity of either half.
Kennel: This was the large gutter which ran down the middle of a street.
Layrwyta: In the days when all peasants were slaves, their owners were reluctant to see too much breeding. Children were an expensive overhead. One way to prevent expense was to fine women who were sexually incontinent; thus the layrwyta was a tax on children born out of wedlock.
Medarius: The abbey’s monk who purveyed mead, ales and wines for the community.
Morning star: A simple but deadly weapon, consisting of a club with nails hammered into the top.
Receiver: Towns with their own markets raised considerable sums of money. Receivers were responsible for collecting up all the money owed to the town, and for keeping a true and accurate account. As with so many offices in medieval times, this post was widely open to corruption.
Reivers: An old term for the thieves, blackmailers and murderers who commonly raided on either side of the Scottish Marches. Often, little wars were begun as a direct result of their predations.
Reredorter: Behind the dorter, the communal toilets.
Salsarius: The monk who was responsible for looking after the monastery’s stock of salted meats and fish, so important during the winter months.
Shavaldore: During Edward II’s turbulent reign many men decided to take what they could without reference to the law. Shavaldores were marauders who raided and robbed all over Durham and the area of the Marches. Many knightly outlaws proliferated at this time, and weren’t to be brought to heel until Edward HI launched the Hundred Years’ War and gave them a new, and more profitable, focus for their energies.
Stannaries: The name given to the districts where tin was mined and smelted. Men living there were exempt from local laws because they were the King’s own. They answered only to the Stannary Courts and the Stannary Parliament.
Undercroft: The name given to the vaulted cellars beneath the abbey’s buildings; used for storage.
Vintenar: A commander of twenty men-at-arms in the King’s host.
Author’s Note
The story of the Abbot’s Way is one of those ancient tales which are all but impossible to validate. It’s true that many of the books which include the tale make the legend sound almost feasible… but not to a truly cynical mind. For one example, look at the little booklet Dartmoor Legends Retold – vol. II by T.H. Gant and W.L. Copley, published by Baron Jay.
I picked this story as the start point for my novel because it offers an attractive amount
