Series 3 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Sixth volume)

84
COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF DUNBAR
the revenues of the parish churches of Linton, Duns and
Chirnside, all in the patronage of the Earl of March,
which were appropriated to the new foundation. From
these ‘ ecclesiastical ’ revenues, the dean had assigned to
him as his prebend the teinds and obventiones of the parish
of Whittingehame, which was to be served by a vicar ; the
archpriest was to receive the teinds and other income of
the parish of Dunbar, exclusive of Whittingehame and
excepting the teind of wool, sheep and lambs, and to hold
the church lands of the whole parish except those of
Whittingehame; while three canons were to be pre¬
bendaries respectively of Linton, Duns and Chirnside,
these churches to be served by vicars. But, as appears
from the allocation of the prebends, the income of the
church was further supplemented from ‘ secular ’ sources,
viz. the five townships of Dunbar, Pinkerton, Spott,
Belton and Pitcox, which were to be the prebends of as
many canons. It does not transpire whether these were
granted to the church at a date anterior to the erection of
the college or as part of Earl Patrick’s endowment of the
new foundation. In accordance with the practice adopted
by cathedrals and, later, by other collegiate churches, any
remaining income was to accrue to a common fund, which
could be utilized to augment the prebends and to repair
the choir of the church.1 The collegiate foundation was at
least nominally complete by 1353, when Thomas de
Harcars is mentioned as canon and prebendary of Dunbar.2
The duties of the clergy, as specified in the charter, are
1 An indenture of i6th May 1453 records the settlement of a con¬
troversy between Dunbar and Melrose ‘ super decimis grangiarum de
Edmondstoun grange et de hertishede wlgariter nuncupatarum que alias
in fundacione dicte ecclesie collegiate deputabantur reparacioni et manu-
tencioni chori prefate ecclesie collegiate et aliorum ornamentorum ipsius
prout in fundacione dicte ecclesie collegiate lacius continetur ’ (Metros,
II. 554)- Nothing so specific, however, appears in the extant foundation-
charter. These teinds had been in dispute since 1173 (Ibid., I, 50).
2 C.P.R., Petitions, I, p. 255.