Document 2/132/3 (Newb. Reg., no. 264)
- Description
- Pope Lucius III writes to the bishops, abbots, archdeacons, deans, and priest of Scotland, noting with surprise that, although freedom from teinds on produce which they raise with their own hands or at their own expense has been granted to the brothers of the monastery of Melrose, certain people nonetheless presume to demand and extort teinds, and impose a sinister interpretation on the pertinent section of these papal privileges by maintaining that ‘new lands’ should be understood in place of ‘produce’. That is a perverse interpretation, since this portion of those privileges are free from paying teinds both on lands which have been brought or are being brought under cultivation and on cultivated lands which the monks fork with their own hands or at their own expense. Lucius commands that no one should presume to extort teinds from the monks of Melrose, or from the brothers of any other Cistercian house in the dioceses, either from new lands, or from other lands which they cultivate with their own hands or at their own expense, of from the offspring of their animals. If the popes had meant only ‘from new lands’ where they wrote ‘from produce’, they would have written ‘from new lands’, as is done in the privileges for certain others. Parishioners who want to assist the brothers of Melrose with their labours should not be prevented from helping but rather urged to do so. Lucius notes that he has also indulged to Melrose that in litigation the testimony of those in the house and of those who once were in the house can be used as if it were the testimony of outsiders. They should excommunicate laymen who attempt to exact teinds from the brothers of Melrose, until proper penance has been performed; clerics who so behave should be suspended under the same conditions. If anyone attempts violence against the brothers of Melrose, they should publicly proclaim him to be excommunicated, and he should be treated as such until he renders fitting satisfaction to those injured, and until he presents himself before the pope with a letter on the matter from his diocesan bishop.
- Firm date
- 10 March 1182
- Dating Notes
- 6 id. Mar., ???
- Place date (modern)
- Lateran
- Place date (document)
- Later'
- Related Place
- Lateran
- Source for Data Entry
- Newbattle Registrum, no. 264
- Trad. ID
- Newb. Reg., no. 264
- Calendar number
- 2/132/3
- Charter type
- Papal letter
- Language
- Latin
- Notes
- Scribe ends with ‘This bull is held at the monastery of Melrose.’