A review of the granators’ accounts of Durham Cathedral Priory 1294–1433: an early example of process accounting?

Abstract

No transcripts from the accounts of the granator, a monk-official entrusted with the administration of grain1 The administration of a medieval monastery or priory was undertaken by a number of officials whose titles may nowadays seem somewhat obscure. At their first occurrence within the text a brief definition is offered. A more detailed definition and description of the duties attaching to a particular office may frequently be found by reference to Fowler (1901), particularly in his glossary (889–989) and in his introduction (i–lxvii), and Fowler (1903). of Durham Cathedral Priory during the period covered by this paper (1294–1433) have hitherto been published. The accounting records which survive from his office comprise a particularly interesting series of linked accounts, which extend far beyond simple grain accounts to include accounts for wheat, bread-making, bread-usage, barley, malt, brewing and ale consumption. Flows are traceable from one account to another in a form of process accounting2 The term ‘process accounting’ is used here in a broad sense to refer to a system of accounts which record inputs to, transfers within and outputs from a manufacturing process. which also takes note of expected yields from specified processes and generates average usage figures calculated by month and week. These accounts are of particular interest as they reveal practices which move beyond the stewardship emphasis traditionally perceived by accounting historians as the dominant feature of medieval charge and discharge accounts.

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