The ecclesiastical proletariat? The income of the lesser clergy in the late Middle Ages exemplified with the accounting book of St. Martin’s altar in Nysa

Abstract

The study on the amount of income of the lesser clergy in the late Middle Ages was until now based mostly on fiscal registers. An unavoidable disadvantage of them is the recording only of an estimated sum of earnings. The only source, which allows for a truly precise appraisal of income from benefice remain personal bills. These sources are rare and are hitherto known only to the owners of parish benefices. In this context, the accounting book of the alter of St. Martin in the Nysa parish church (1500 – 1597) is quite exceptional. The chantry was funded at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, and its first noted owner was Paul Scheiban, who assumed it before May 1st, 1406. The founder of the benefice undoubtedly came from the Nysa patriciate. It would be plausible to see Henry Czeicz, mayor of the city in the 80s of the 14th century, in this role. In 1500 the chantry took Wenceslaus Sculteti of Kłodzko., who did not reside in Nysa, and his liturgical obligations were filled by a deputy. The collection of his benefits was executed through a procurator. It seems that it is this cession of the management of finances to a procurator that gave rise to the accounting book in question. Because the entrusted funds had to be settled, the scrupulous notation of all incoming and outgoing payments was necessary. This source allows us, like no other, to discover the real proceeds from altar stipends at the end of the Middle Ages. The total income from the chantry in 1500 was three marks. In reality, however, not every year was the entire due amount obtained. The example of the altar salary of St. Martin is a perfect illustration of the main problems of the credit market in the Middle Ages: dispersion of payments, difficulty in executing payments from rural rents, reluctance of payers and catastrophes that could even result in complete loss of profits. The Nysa accounts also give us information on the ways of executing provisions, the system of cash transfers and the costs associated with the handling of alter benefices (laundry, wax, repairs, etc.). Thanks to the preserved accounting book we can state the amount of the contributions for the Bohemian king and the payments for the bishop.