Particulars of Account

Particulars of account for Upleadon years 1-3_TNA E 199_18_4-5  E 199-46-21 Particulars of Account Worcs 1309-9
The rotuli de particulis were the detailed records of receipts and expenses submitted by the sheriff or other government official to the Exchequer, where they were checked, summarised and entered on to the long records of account that we call ‘pipe rolls’. So far I have found two sets of these ‘particulars of account’ for the Templars’ estates: one set is for Upleadon in Herefordshire, for two accounting years, 1307–8 and 1308–8, while the other covers the Templars’ three estates in Worcestershire in the accounting year 1308–9.

The Upleadon ‘particulars of account’ are full of crossings-out where the Exchequer official had disallowed expenses — such as the expense of providing food for travellers discussed in an earlier blog post. The Worcestershire ‘particulars’, on the other hand, were enrolled pretty much as they stood, although with some additional detail of exactly how much the different farm workers were being paid, and one difference on the maid’s salary.

At ‘Hullecrombe’ the two men who guided the plough received four shillings for the period from 14 January to 25 March (i.e. 2 shillings each over 71 days, or a third of a penny per day), the two leading the plough animals received three shillings (i.e. 18 d. each, or a farthing per day) and the maid who made the potage received six pence (a twelfth of a penny per day: a third of the rate of the men who led the plough animals). They all also received payments of grain: the ploughmen received a quarter of ‘mixture’ each twelve weeks, a total of nine quarters, while the maid received one quarter each sixteen weeks, which totalled a quarter and five bushels (in the ‘particulars of account’) or five bushels (in the enrolled account). As the ‘mixture’ comprised 6 quarters 1 bushel of wheat and 4 and a half quarters of peas (i.e. a total of 10 quarters five bushels), in the ‘particulars of account’ the whole lot was paid out, while in the enrolled account one quarter remained unaccounted for. Despite this, the enrolled account recorded that the mixture account balanced, so perhaps the maid did get that extra quarter of ‘mixture’.