Priest and Parish in the Middle Ages |
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By 1291 the country had been divided into parishes, each served by a parish church and Priest. Farmers gave a tythe (tenth) of their crop to pay for this, and the grain was collected and stored in tythe barns. The Parish Priest had a daily allowance of food - perhaps two flagons of ale and a loaf of bread. He was also given a house in which to live. |
The Tythe Barn at Glastonbury |
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The Priest's house at Muchelney |
Carving showing the Priest with his bread and ale. |
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The church service (mass) was in Latin, but the sermon was in English, and people enjoyed listening to these. Huge Cathedrals were built and added to by communities eager to give their best to God, at great personal cost. Mary the mother of Jesus became more important to Christians in the Middle Ages, and the popular custom of praying to her using a rosary came to England from churches in Eastern Europe. |
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Salisbury Cathedral was built in the Middle Ages |
| When Henry III came to the English throne in 1217 there were around 680 monasteries in the country, and they owned about a fifth of the country's wealth. There were also "Chantries" - small chapels where Priests were paid to say masses and pray for people who had died. Medieval chantry chapels can still be seen in the Cathedrals. |
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A Chantry Chapel at Winchester Cathedral |
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Photographs by Mike Strange |
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