Forms: 5–6 cor(r)ydie, 5–7 cor(r)odie, -ye, 6 corradye, 7–8 corredy; (5 corride, pl. corodes, -eis, -ise, 7 pl. corrodice: 7 colede, 8 colady); 5– corody, 6– corrody. [ad. med.L. corrōdium, also -rādium, vars. of corrēdium, earlier conrēdium, f. OF. conrei(d, conroi, mod.F. corroi:—Romanic type *conrēdo: see CONREY. Among the numerous other med.L. forms were conregium, -ragium, corrogium, conreium, correium, courreium, also correda, corredum. Those in o, a, were perhaps due to Parisian F. conroi, AF. conrai. The primary sense was ‘preparation, outfit,’ hence ‘provision.’] Provision or allowance for maintenance, aliment; pension.
‘Originally the right of free quarters due from the vassal to the lord on his circuit; but later applied esp. to certain contributions of food, provisions, etc., paid annually by religious houses…. Sometimes the contribution might be commuted, and then it would be practically undistinguishable from an annuity or pension’ (C. Plummer, Fortescue, Notes pp. 337–8). Little in use since the Reformation; the legal antiquaries of the 17th c. dealt with it as an obsolete word, and it is now chiefly a historical term, though surviving as the name of some local charities.
[1292. Britton, II. xi. § 15. Et ausi porra disseisine estre fete de conreiz. transl. Disseisin may also be made of corrodies.
1316. Act 9 Edw. II., Stat. 1. c. 11. Pro corrodiis pensionibus vel prehendinationibus.
1327. Act 1 Edw. III., Stat. II. c. 10. Grevez … par grosses empensions, provendes, Eglises, et Corodies.]
1429. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees), 80. To John ffelton his hous fre … and corodye in seint katerynes term of his lyfe.
c. 1470. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xviii. Than shall men off his howsold be rewarded with corodyes, and haue honeste sustenance in þer olde dayis…. Ffor such corodes and pencions were first geven to þe kyng ffor the same entent.
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 182. Discharge of quit clame of any corrydies corride pencion or pencions dysmes, [etc.]. Ibid., 256. Here begynith the Corodise in all the Abbeyes in Englande.
c. 1533. in Froude, Short Stud. (1876), I. 420. The said abbot hath sold corradyes to the damage of the said monastery.
a. 1555. Gardiner, in Parker’s Corr., 20. There be small corrodies in Cambridge for cooks decayed.
1616. Bullokar, Corodie, an ancient term.
1628. MS. Acc. St. John’s Hosp., Canterb., Joane Palmer was admitted into St. Johns Hospitall an In Sister … by a Corodie from my L: G: of Cant.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. lxvi. 230 [231]. The founders and benefactors hereby obtained a right of corody or entertainment at such places, in nature of free quarter.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., VI. iii. Lesser Monast., § 10. Corrodice, and Pensions to Founders.
1707. in Our Parish Bks., I. 127. For goodman Arnals Colady … £0 2s. 0d.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. viii. 273. The king is entitled to a corody, as the law calls it, out of every bishoprick.
1794. W. Tindal, Hist. Evesham, 98. To the office of dean belongs a corredy of one servant of the cellar.
1810. G. Chalmers, Caledonia, II. III. vii. 357. David I. was entitled to a corody from the Monks of Coldingham.
1888. Times, 3 Aug., 10/2. The annual party of poor residents of Lambeth and its neighbourhood was given … when the recipients of the Archbishop’s weekly dole and corody (between 40 and 50) … spent a happy evening.
b. transf.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 35 a. Besides these flooting burgesses of the ocean, there are also certaine flying Citizens of the ayre, which prescribe for a corrodie therein.
c. Corrody house: a house given rent-free along with or as part of a corrody: cf. quot. 1429 above.
c. 1535. Surv. Yorksh. Monast., in Yorkshire Archæol. Jrnl., IX. 215. A litle corrodye house wt a chambre.
