sáwolscot

m (-es/-as) payment to the church on the death of a person, an ecclesiastical due, to be paid for every deceased person to the clergy of the church to which he belonged, in consideration of the services performed by them in his behalf; [It was to be paid before the funeral rites were completed, thought the regulations would hardly be carried out in cases where grants of land were made. It appears to have been one of the objects of the early guilds, to provide for the payment of this fee.]