106 BRIDPORT CORPORATION RECORDS. 



In the accounts of most of these fraternities a list of members is 

 given with their annual contributions, which were usually a few 

 pence or half-a-pound of wax. From the income were defrayed 

 the expenses of the burning of tapers and the singing of masses for 

 deceased members. Relief to the amount of Jd. per week was, in 

 some fraternities, granted to members who had become poor, and 

 the cost of interment of those who died so was defrayed. 



I will here make an extract from a volume containing an 

 account of the weekly expenditure of St. Michael's. 



For the week ending Saturday next after the Feast of the 

 Invention of the Holy Cross (May 3) : 



Bread, Is. IJd. ; ale, Is. 4d. ; meat, Is. 3d. ; fish, &c., 9d. ; 

 oatmeal, 2Jd. ; butter, IJd. ; eggs, 3d. total, 5s. OJd. There 

 were two strangers in the house for one day this week and two 

 others for the whole week. 



During a week in Lent ending 7th March, 1456, when there 

 were no strangers in the house, the sum laid out was 3s. 2d., as 

 follows : 



Bread, 6d. ; ale, 9d. ; fish, Is. 3d. ; almonds, Id. ; saffron, Id. ; 

 figs, Id. ; raisins, Id. ; mustard, Id. During the preceding week 

 8d. had been expended in a bushel of peas. 



It appears that the expenditure during 49 weeks in 1453-4 was 

 for bread, 1/13/3J ; ale, 2/2/5J ; meat, 1/12/9; fish, 1/12/4J; 

 oatmeal, Is. 8d. ; butter, Is. 4d. ; beans, Jd. ; cheese, 6d. ; sucking 

 pigs, Ish. 2d. ; ginger, d. ; mustard, 2d. ; milk, 3d. ; eggs, lOd. ; 

 figs 9id. ; pepper, |d. ; saffron, 2|d. ; raisins, l^d. wine, 9d. ; 

 sundries, 5d. total, 7/9/2J=3s. 0|d. per week. 



Among the indulgences granted to persons contributing to the 

 maintenance of the Leper House in Allington is a fine parchment 

 drrd with blue and rubric letters, which gives an account of the 

 indulgence granted to benefactors by Pope Alexander IV. (1254 

 1261) who authorises : 



" All maiinrcof Curates of mannys sowle toabsoyle all brcthcnn-, 

 Btysteme, and goode doers of the Leper House of Marie Maii-dali-iiu 

 in Allington of all manere of vowys except the vowys of the Holy 



