Cumbrian Manorial Records

Valor

Valor: valuation of the Estates of Philip, Lord Wharton, 1605

Source: Cumbria Record Office, Carlisle, D/Lons/L5/2/24/1, p.318,
with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Lowther Estate

Transcript:

Wharton xxvi^to	A breife abstracte or estimate of the yearlie value
die Novembris	of the Rentes or Tenauntes profittes of demaines parkes and Tythes
1605	of the righte honorable Philip lorde Wharton in West-
	merlande Cumberlande Yorkshire and Countie Pallentine
	of Durisme as followethe:
Westmerlande	Wharton in rentes and Fines with vi^s paide for
	Noltgelde by yeare	xi^liiiii^sii^dob
	Naitbie in Rentes and Fermes with C^s for Corne mylne
	Naitbie in Rentes and Fermes with C^s for Corne mylne	xxvi^li vii^s v^d
	Kirkbystephan with vi^li rente of the Gleblande	xxiii^li viii^d ob
	Ravinstonedalle with iiii^li for Corne Mylne and iii^lifor Tythe of Weelfeall by yeare
		Cxviii^li vii^s ix^d
	Langdall with Flackbrigge by yeare	xviii^li vi^s viii^d ob
	Teebay lordshipp with v^s for Noltgelde	li^li iii^s ii^d ob
	Breetherdalle with v^s for Noltgelde	xii^li x^s vi^d ob
	Preston patterigge with viii^s iiii^d bayliffe fee	xi^li ii^s vi^d
	Shapp gravshipp with iii^li for boones & wastes	lix^li xv^s ix^d
	Shapp demaines by yeare	xxiiii^li iiii^s x^s

Quick Glossary:

ob	obolus = halfpenny
noltgelde	literally 'cattle tax', the vernacular term for cornage, an ancient cattle render paid by many communities to the baronial lord
boones	labour services
grav[e]shipp	the manorial rent-collecting unit; 'grave' was the northern English equivalent to reeve
demaine	demesne: land retained in hand by the lord. On these manors by this date the demesnes had been let to tenants

Commentary:

A 'valor' is a summary valuation of a manor, laying out the income and expenses with a view to showing how much profit a manor could be expected to provide. Valors were based on information in manorial accounts.

The Wharton family’s extensive landholdings in northern England had been built up by Thomas, first Lord Wharton (d. 1568) in the mid-16th century. This extract is the first part of a full valuation of the Wharton estates in 1605. It gives a global figure for the income from each manor, followed by a statement of allowances and outgoings against this income. The grand total value of the estates was put at £2,107 11s 43/4d, against which were set allowances totalling £723 6s 5d, giving a clear annual value of £1,384 4s 113/4d. The Westmorland estates were valued at over £440, the most valuable manors being Ravenstonedale (£118 7s 9d), Shap (over £84 if the leased demesnes are included) and Tebay (£51 3s 21/2d). The sums for each manor represent the total rental income from the tenants, together with other sources of income (‘noltgeld’ or cornage, rent from mills, etc) as noted.

< Gallery