Around the start of the eighth century, the king of Northumbria declared that monasteries did not have to pay tax or provide military service.
Inevitably, this soon led to lots of powerful laymen claiming that their estates were monasteries.
Writing 30 years later, the Venerable Bede was furious:
Inevitably, this soon led to lots of powerful laymen claiming that their estates were monasteries.
Writing 30 years later, the Venerable Bede was furious:
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'Almost every one of the leading nobles', Bede fumed, 'has bought himself a monastery of this kind during his time in office.'
There might be thanes with long memories and sharp swords around.
Eventually he ruled that no layman could bequeath any real estate to a monastery, and was assassinated shortly afterwards.