A corrody (/ˈkɒrədi/[1]) was a lifetime allowance of food and clothing, and often shelter and care, granted by an abbey, monastery, or other religious house.
They were routinely awarded to the servants and household staff of royalty, and as a form of charity for the aged, sick, feeble or those in poverty,[2] but could also be purchased with donations of money or land.
The corrody is one of the earliest forms of insurance, as it provided security in sustenance and lodging in a time when social welfare was scarce.
This assumes a daily allowance of one loaf of bread and a gallon of ale, but excludes the cost of accommodation and living expenses.
In the 15th century a John Underwood of Deeping Lincolnshire, paid £100 for a corrody to the abbot and convent of Peterborough Abbey.