Catalogue description Exchequer: Office of First Fruits and Tenths and predecessors: Composition Books

This series consists largely of volumes devoted to recording compositions for the payment of first fruits made by incumbents on institution to benefices.

After 1558, incumbents gave bonds for payment in four instalments over two years; between the late 1660s and 1704 they were required to give an additional fifth bond, for an unspecified sum, to allow for the collection of any extra money which should become due in the event of a revaluation of livings.

The largest number of these volumes forms part of a series of fair copies of composition books, which extend from at least 1559 until the 1790s. They contain entries in chronological order, showing the name of the living, the name of the incumbent and his sureties, the value of the living and the amount to be deducted for tenths, the terms at which payments were to be made, and the total sum due.

In addition, four volumes survive from a series of working copies, running from February 1614 to January 1654. These were identical to the fair copies in layout and original content, but were annotated subsequently to show payments which had been made. A further two volumes, covering the years 1692 to 1704, belong to a separate series of composition books, containing slightly less information than those in the main series, and arranged differently. They record the names of the incumbent and his sureties, and the sums due at each specified term.

Other records in the series include a small volume, unrelated to the composition books themselves, recording payments, probably of fees due to the Office of First Fruits, made by clerics compounding in 1708 and 1709, and material relating to the payment of tenths.

Indexes alphabetical by diocese and then chronological are in: IND 1/1282 - IND 1/1295 and IND 1/17027 and IND 1/17028; indexes alphabetical by person in: IND 1/17017- IND 1/17026 and a general index in IND 1/17016.

additional finding aid ZBOX 1/58/5

Access to the composition books is assisted by various manuscript means of reference. A repertory, arranged by diocese, gives the names of incumbents and their livings, 1554-1595. There are two series of indexes of incumbents, one covering 1656-1684, and the other 1658-1798, and three series of indexes of livings, arranged by county, 1536-1838.