Modernized adaptation of OE. ciric-sceat [f. OE. ciric- church- + sceat money-payment, tribute, rate], in 12th c. churchscet, which was subsequently, as an obsolete term, variously corrupted as 3 chirchesset (ss = sh), -soht, 4 cherset; and by legal antiquaries, 7 churchesset, 7– church-seed.
lit. = Church-tribute: in OE. times a custom of corn collected on St. Martin’s day; extended to other contributions in kind and money made for the support of the clergy, or demanded as a traditional ecclesiastical due.
The desire to connect the latter part of the combination with seed appears as early as the 13th c. when the institution and name were alike traditionary; hence the corruptions found in 13th-c. documents, in Latin translations of OE. documents, and in the 17th-c. legal antiquaries. Modern writers sometimes use the OE. name. (See SCOT, SHOT.)
c. 890. K. Ælfred, Bæda (Sm.), 772. Dæt hi aʓefen elce ʓere þreo mittan hwætes to ciric-sceatte to Clife.
c. 1025. Wulfstan, Hom. (N.). xxii. 113. Eal … þæt ure yldran hwilum ær gode behetan, ðæt is sulhælmessan and rompeneʓas and cyricsceattas and leohtʓescota.
a. 1201. Cartul. de Glaston., 38, in Kennett, Paroch. Ant., Gloss, s.v., In churchscet lx gallinas et semen frumenti ad tres acras.
c. 1250. Gloss. Law Terms, in Rel. Ant., I. 33. Chirchesoht,—Une certeine summe de blé batu.
c. 1300. Battle Abbey Cust. (1887), 60. Dare iij gallinas et j gallum ad cherset.
c. 1300. Fleta, I. xlvii. in Spelman s.v., Chirchesset certam mensuram bladi tritici significat … in brevi Regis Knuti … illam contributionem (Chirchsed) appellant, quasi, semen Ecclesia.
1618. Daniel, Hist. Eng., 18 (D.). To see all Church-scot & Rome-scot fully cleered before his returne.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 94 b. In our ancient Bookes these gifts of deuotion were called Churchesset, or Churchseed, quasi semen Ecclesiæ.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. (1739), 86. Peter-pence, Ciricksceat (or Church-shot) and Tythes must be duly paid.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, iv. 202. To pay … their Cyricsceat and the Plow-Alms.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 7. This in our ancient Books is called Church-seed.
1841. Southey, Bk. of Ch. (ed. 2), I. 84–5. The first legislative provision for the clergy in these kingdoms, in the form of a kirk-scot.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), II. IV. iv. 281. The nature of kirk shot, a payment of certain corn and seed as first fruits, is somewhat obscure.
1867. Pearson, Early & Mid. Ages Eng., I. 207, note. Cyricsceat or churchsed.
1872. E. Robertson, Hist. Ess., 105. Church-shot.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. viii. 229. Besides the tithe, the clergy received … church-scot, a sort of commutation for firstfruits paid by every householder.
