Legal Definitions - maine-port

Historically, a maine-port referred to a modest payment or offering made by church members (parishioners) to their parish priest (rector). This payment served as an alternative to the traditional tithes, which were typically a tenth of one's income or produce given to the church. Instead of a monetary tithe or a large portion of goods, a maine-port was often a small, tangible contribution of a specific item.

• Example 1: Agricultural Community

  In a historical farming village, instead of each farmer giving a tenth of their annual grain harvest as a tithe, the local rector might have agreed to accept a fixed quantity of cheese from each household's dairy production as a maine-port. This would be a consistent, small offering of a specific item rather than a fluctuating percentage of their main crop.

  This illustrates a maine-port because the cheese is a "small tribute" from the "parishioners" (the farming households) to the "rector," provided "in lieu of tithes" (the traditional grain harvest).

• Example 2: Craft-Based Economy

  Consider a medieval town where many residents were skilled artisans. Rather than demanding a monetary tithe that might be difficult for some to provide consistently, the rector might have accepted a specific number of handcrafted wooden spoons from the local carpenter each year as a maine-port. Similarly, a weaver might contribute a small length of finished cloth.

  Here, the wooden spoons or length of cloth represent a "small tribute" from the "parishioners" (the carpenter or weaver) to the "rector," serving "in lieu of tithes" that might otherwise be expected in cash or a portion of their raw materials.

• Example 3: Coastal Fishing Village

  In a historical fishing community, instead of requiring fishermen to give a tenth of their daily catch, the rector might have established a practice where each fishing family contributed a set number of smoked fish or a small amount of salt from their stores once a month as their maine-port. This would be a predictable and manageable offering.

  This demonstrates a maine-port as the smoked fish or salt are a "small tribute" from the "parishioners" (the fishing families) to the "rector," offered "in lieu of tithes" (a portion of their fresh, perishable catch).