A corrody () was a lifetime allowance of food and clothing, and often shelter and care, granted by an

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

, or other religious house. While rarely granted in the modern era, corrodies were common in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. They were routinely awarded to the servants and household staff of

royalty Royalty may refer to: * the mystique/prestige bestowed upon monarchs ** one or more monarchs, such as kings, queens, emperors, empresses, princes, princesses, etc. *** royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen-regnant, and sometimes h ...

, and as a form of charity for the aged, sick, feeble or those in poverty, but could also be purchased with donations of money or land. The corrody is one of the earliest forms of

insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...

, as it provided security in sustenance and lodging in a time when

social welfare Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance p ...

was scarce. Academic estimates of the annual value of the food allowance (alone), are around £3 per year. This assumes a daily allowance of one loaf of bread and a gallon of ale, but excludes the cost of accommodation and living expenses. When multiplied by the

life expectancy Human life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the average remaining years of life at a given age. The most commonly used measure is ''life expectancy at birth'' (LEB, or in demographic notation ''e''0, where '' ...

of the era (bearing in mind that corrodies would be granted to the old and infirm) it can be assumed that a lifelong corrody for an average person would cost approximately £100. The prices paid for corrodies varied. In the 15th century a John Underwood of Deeping

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

, paid £100 for a corrody to the abbot and convent of

Peterborough Abbey Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew, and formerly known as Peterborough Abbey or St Peter's Abbey, is a cathedral in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in the United Kingdom. The seat of the Anglic ...

. This guaranteed him "eight monks' loaves and eight gallons of the better beer" twice a week. He also received either a furred robe or one without fur when the abbot gave

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

, and a cloth robe for his wife. At midsummer the abbot also sent him "two

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

of cheese, two dozen Paris candles, allowances of

oatmeal Oatmeal is a preparation of oats that have been dehusked, steamed, and flattened, or a coarse flour of hulled oat grains ( groats) that have either been milled (ground), rolled, or steel-cut. Ground oats are also called white oats. Steel- ...

and salt, and four loads of 'ballowood', ''i.e.'' logs." 1n 1432 the abbot of Humberston Abbey in Lincolnshire sold a corrody for ten

mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

s (one mark was worth 160 pence (13 shillings and 4 pence), 2/3 of a

pound sterling Sterling (symbol: £; currency code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound is the main unit of sterling, and the word '' pound'' is also used to refer to the British currency general ...

). This investment was worth 40

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...

s a year, which would have used up the ten marks in around three years: but the arrangement had already stood for eight years by 1440, hardly an economical result for the abbey. The abbot of Humberston Abbey had also sold corrodies for 100 marks worth 10 marks a year; one for 10 marks worth a little over 33 shillings a year; and another sold for 20 marks but worth 4 marks (around 53 shillings) a year. By the fifteenth century these corrupt or debased forms of corrody were less likely to be an asset to the monasteries and more of a liability. The

archbishops of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop was Augustine ...

are recorded as granting only a few charitable corrodies, no more than thirty during the century between 1313 and 1414. The large majority provided only daily food, drink, clothing and a room. For example, archbishop Simon Islip awarded only twelve between 1350 and 1365. The grant was either in money, often between 10 and 12 pence (one shilling) a week, Many beneficiaries of the archbishops' charity lodged at the Hospital of SS Peter and Paul (the Newark Hospital) in

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

, or the hospital of St. John the Baptist in Northgate,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

References

Bibliography

* * * Medieval economic history {{Europe-hist-stub