Trying to understand terminology in OPR 'collections'

JulieAK · Post by **JulieAK** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:19 pm

I'm reading through the OPR for Polwarth, Berwickshire in the 1770s, the sections concerning collections. There are payments for "mortcloth", "yearly shoes", for being "in distress", but does anyone know what is meant by "new cloth"?

e.g."For the new cloth to Marg Younger 2 6."

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:12 am

Hi Julie
My guess would be that it may have been a new mortcloth, as opposed to the old morthcloth.

Best wishes
Lesley

JulieAK · Post by **JulieAK** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:45 am

Thanks Lesley. That must be it.

I noticed the "new cloth" costs 2 6 while the "mort cloth" costs only 2. I wondered if it was cloth for clothes, but I checked and no one was getting the "new cloth" regularly like the shoes .

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:55 pm

hi Julie

noticed the "new cloth" costs 2 6 while the "mort cloth" costs only 2

That sounds about right then. Often a parish would have several mortcloths of varying quality and sizes e.g. there was often a Best, not so good and "bargain basement" (not what it was really called - often the oldest one!) mortcloth and often also a child size, with differing hire costs. The money made from the hire of the mortcloth went into the poor box to help the poor and needy of the parish.

best wishes
Lesley