1) The finest white bread, a York delicacy.
From pain-demaine, that is bread of our Lord, said to be so named because the figure of our Saviour was imprinted on it. The earliest references are in Latin and French, from the fourteenth century and the evidence is explicit later in the assize of bread in York: 1400 Et in paynemayne empto vd, Richmond
1411-2 videlicet, panis oboulati dominici, vulgariter vocati Anglice a halpenny symnell of mayn brede. A memorandum in the same document then has: touchant payne demayn wastelles and symnelles, York. Other York references include: 1452 Pro alio pane vocato payne de mayne iiijs
1494 he put to saile maynbred and levagn bred whiche was chaffed and myldewed and unholsome
1533 paid for a pottell of mavesey and mayne brede when we lokyd over the evydences, vijd. The word is on record over a wider area in the sixteenth century: 1528 Item in mayne bread 1s, Skipton
1545 3 dussen of men bread to the said bune [boon] 3s, Bridlington.