beadman

1) Relating to 'bead', the Middle English word for prayer.

These terms, and others of a similar kind, all have ‘bead’ as the first element, that is the Middle English word for prayer. That meaning was transferred to the small beads of the rosary by which prayers were counted, and those who said prayers for others were called beadsman, beadswoman or beadsfolk: they may have been paid to do that or have been resident in a bead-house or almshouse: 1454 Lego facturć cujusdam domus ... le Beydhous v marcas, Whitkirk

1465 your well willers, servants, and bed folks

1485 to the bedhowse beside the Magdalen, 3s 4d, Bridlington

1517 your orator and dayly bedman, Thomas Drax, Wombwell

1543 shall kepe fyve beadfolkes in the Bedehouse at Ryther

1544 sexe power beide men to have sexe blake gownes or white, Frickley. The bead-roll was a list of persons to be prayed for: 1517 I bequeath ... a coppe of velwet, and that my soull, my faders soull and my moders soull be upon the bedrowll to be praid for euermore, Heptonstall. In a letter of c.1499 the writer German Pole signed himself your good son and beadchild and Jennet Rosse ... beadwoman ... in the Hospitall of Sancte Nicholas in Pontefract, made her will in 1541.

spellings beadhouse bead roll
dates 1454 1465 1485 1499 1517 1541 1543 1544

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