Roche Abbey holdings: mills, fisheries, turbaries, ponds etc

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William, earl of Warenne, to his fishermen of Brademer, health. Know that I, moved by charity, have given to God and the church of St Mary of Roche, and to the monks, servants of God in that place, the tithe of the whole of the residue of all my eels from all my fisheries that are in the parish of Hatfield, Fishlake and Thorne, except for the full tithe of my eels that belongs to the monks of Lewes, as a pure and perpetual charity. Wherefore I command you that you ensure they have the aforementioned tithe without any difficulty or delay, and in testimony of this I send you these my letters patent. Farewell

[Aveling, The History of Roche Abbey from its Foundation until its Dissolution, p. 28].

Other holdings that the monks acquired to sustain the community include mills, fisheries and turbaries – the right to cut turf.(10) Roche had fisheries at Ousethrope and Serlby, but the community also received grants of fish to supplement their own supplies. During Richard’s abbacy (1238-54), William, earl of Warenne, granted the monks a tithe of the eels caught in his fisheries at Fishlake, Hatfield and Thorne. Roche had mills at Ickles, near Rotherham, Todwick and Monyash, Derbyshire. These mills were supposedly for the community’s use, but sometimes the tenants were obliged to grind at the monks’ mill and render the twentieth bowl as payment. This led to some resentment, and in 1329 embittered locals from Todwick displayed their hostility by breaking Roche’s windmill here. The corn mill recorded in 1231 was at Abbey Mill Farm. (11)