123 



the Prior, an account of what he had received, and of what he 

 had expended during the year. From these the superior officer 

 formed one large roll, which, together with the smaller upon 

 which it was formed, was deposited in the treasury or the 

 muniment room of the Monastery.* Many of these larger rolls 

 have been published ; but few, if any, of the smaller rolls have 

 been brought to light. On this, if on no other account, this 

 document drawn up by a Monk of St. Mary's, will be regarded 

 as curious and valuable. 



The writer of this roll describes himself as holding the offices 

 of Camerarius and Gustos Communie Specierum. The Ca- 

 merarius, or Chamberlain, was an officer who belonged to 

 every Monastic House ; although the nature and extent of his 

 duties may not have been uniformly the same. But no such 

 officer as the Gustos Communiae Specierum is mentioned in the 

 ordinary lists of Monastic officers ; nor is it noticed by Du Cange 

 or Carpentier or Keyner. The title denotes that he had the 

 care of the common stock of the Spicery. Spices appear to have 

 formed a large and important portion of Monastic stores ; com- 

 prehending a great variety of articles ; as ginger, pepper, mace, 

 cloves, cinnamon, raisins (great raisins), currants (small raisins), 

 prunes, almonds, liquorice, sugar, sugar candy, barley-sugar, 

 sandars, turnsole, comfits, cakes, &c. &c. They were generally 

 expensive articles, yet, as Dr. Whitaker has observed with 

 respect to the Monks of Bolton Priory, " they were used 

 with no sparing hand."t The Bursar of the Monastery of 

 Durham accounts for the delivery to the Cellarer, in one year 

 of more than 130 lbs. of pepper, of 105 lbs. of currants, of 48 lbs. 

 of prunes, of 55 lbs. of sugar, in addition to a large supply of 

 honey. The charge for spicery in that year was above £38, 

 when a sheep was sold for 2s. and an ox for from 14s. to 16s. 



Bp. Kennet says that spices were sometimes taken as parts 

 of account payment. Instances of this occur in the Durham 

 Book ; where four tenants pay a portion of their arrears due to 

 the Monastery in saffron ; grants also were sometimes made 



♦ Durham Household Book. Preface by the Kcv. J. Raine, p. viii. 

 t History of Craven, p. 403. 



