1540.Butter, 180½ Barrels at £3£541100
Grain, 79 Lasts at £539500
Flesh, 12½ Lasts at £337100
Marts, 4 at £1, 10s.600
Hawkhens, 217 at 6d.586
Swine, 2 at 15s.1100
Wax, Peats, &c., about1316
Silver25126



Total Rents and Teinds of Bishopric in 1540£125126



These quantities were officially attested by Bishop Adam in 1561, and in 1568 (the date of his first contract with Lord Robert), amounted at the current prices to the value and quantity following, viz.—

1568.Butter at £9 per Barrel£1624100
Grain at £30 per Last237000
Flesh at £7, 4s.9000
Marts at £3, 12s.1480
Hawkhens586
Swine at £1, 16s.3120
Wax, &c.2216
Silver25126
Total£438126

These articles, the amount of the Bishopric Rental at Earl Robert’s entry, he increased to the following quantities at the same conversion:—

1587.Butter, 73½ Barrels at £9£661130
Do., 136 Lispunds 21 Marks at 12s.8226
Grain, 189 Lasts, 20 Meils, 5 Setns, at £305696010
Flesh, 84 Lasts, 18 Meils, 2 Setns, at £7, 4s.610100
Poultry, 10462630
Wax, &c.2466
Silver29972
Total£740000

which by his aggravation of one-fifth of every weight and measure, actually represented the following quantities and value at his death, 1592:—

1592.Butter in Barrels (unchanged)£661100
Do., Loose, 171 Lispunds at 12s102120
Grain, 237⅓ Lasts at £30712000
Flesh, 105 Lasts 22 Meils at £7, 4s.762120
Poultry2630
Wax, &c.271510
Silver29972
Total£900000

Earl Patrick’s aggravation of one-third in like manner raised the actual quantities paid from the Bishopric in the same proportion, and at the current prices of conversion, to the following value:—

Butter, 73½ Barrels at £20 per Barrel£1,47000
Do., 182 Lispunds at £2 per Lispund36400
Grain, 253 at £60 per Last15,18000
Flesh, 113 Lasts at £16 per Last1,80800
Poultry, 1046 at 1s. each5260
Swine, 2 at £4800
Wax, &c., about33610
Money29972
Total Bishopric.£19,21500

The following Abstract of the results of these Tables will exhibit briefly the progressive increase of the burdens of Orkney during the sixteenth century—