Scotland -- History -- Stuarts, to the Union, 1371-1707
King William, grandson of David, confirmed to God and the Church of All
Saints of May, and to William, the Prior, and to his successors,
brethren of the Cluniac order, in free and perpetual alms, the donations
made by his grandfather David, of pious memory, and by his predecessor
and brother, King Malcolm. The contribution of the latter sovereign to
these benefactions appears to have been the grant of a toll of five
marks by the year from ships arriving at Perth. King William also
enjoins all persons fishing round the Island of May to pay their due
tithes to God and the aforesaid church without reserve. He also commands
that no one shall unjustly detain from them the tithes to which they
were entitled in the time of King David, on pain of forfeiture; nor
shall anyone presume to fish in their waters, to construct buildings on
the Isle of May, to dig land, or to cut grass there, without their
licence. He moreover grants and confirms to them one mansion, with a
toft in Dunbar, and the use of a vessel for transporting the necessaries
of their household, as Earl Gospatric had granted, and King Malcolm
confirmed to them. By later charters he bestows upon the Priory a grant
of fourpence from all ships having four hawsers, coming to the ports of
Pittenweem and Anstruther for the purpose of catching or selling fish,
and also from boats with fixed helms. Of the "can" or duty collected at
those ports he enjoins that the tenth penny shall be paid to the monks,
but reserves the bulk for himself. He also gives them the lands of
Petother, and further shows his goodwill towards them by exempting the
men dwelling on their lands from military service--de exercitu et
expeditione--and also from the payment of can and toll, and by extending
the latter privilege to all who come to fish in their waters.[209]
It was not only to the liberality of their kings that the Monks of the
May were indebted for the extensive and valuable lands which they owned
on both sides of the firth. From Gospatric, the powerful Border Earl,
they received a toft near his harbour of Bele. To this his successor,
Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, added five acres of land near the same harbour.
He also made over to them all the land "from Windydure to Kingissete,
and so by the footpath coming down to Kingsburn, and from thence up by
the high road which goes by the Rede Stane and by that road to
Windydure, with common pasture". In addition to this he released them
from the annual payment of a cow, which they had made till then for the
lands which they held from him in Lambermor.[210]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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