Itistruethatsuchvaguedescriptionsaremostlyfoundinoldersurveys，buttheinferencetobedrawnfromthefactissimplythatmanorialcustomsweredevelopinggraduallyfromratherindefiniterulestoaminutesettlementofdetails。Thereisnodifferenceinthemainprinciple，thatthedependenthouseholderwasnottobetreatedasaslaveandhadacustomaryrighttodevotepartofhistimetothemanagementofhisownaffairs。
Anotherpointistobekeptwellinview。Thewholearrangementofamanorialsurveyisconstructedwiththeholdingasitsbasis。Thenamesofvirgatersandcottersarecertainlymentionedforthesakeofclearness，butitwouldbewrongtoconsiderthedutiesascribedtothemasaimingattheperson。
JohnNewmanmaybesaidtoholdavirgate，tojoinwithhisplough-oxeninthetillageoftwentyacres，toattendatthreeboon-daysinharvesttime，andsoforth。ItwouldbemisleadingtotakethesestatementsveryliterallyandtoinferthatJohnNewmanwasalonetousethevirgateandtoworkforit。Hewasmostprobablymarried，andpossiblyhadgrown-upsonstohelphim；verylikelyabrotherwastherealso，andevenservants，poorhouselessmenfromthesamevillageorfromabroad。Everyhouseholderhasamoreorlessconsiderablefollowingsequela，92*anditwasbynomeansnecessaryfortheheadofthefamilytoperformallmanorialworkinhisownperson。Hehadtoappearortosendoneworkmanonmostoccasionsandtocomewithallhispeopleonafewdays——theboon-daysnamely。Thedescriptionoftheprecariaeisgenerallytheonlyoccasionwhentheextentstakethisintoaccount，namely，thattherewasaconsiderablepopulationinthevillagebesidesthosetenantswhowerementionedbyname。93*Ineednotpointout，thatthefacthasanimportantmeaning。Themedievalsystem，insofarasitrestedonthedistributionofholdings，wasinmanyrespectsmoreadvantageoustothetenantrythantothelord。Itwassuperficialinasense，andfromthepointofviewofthelorddidnotleadtoasatisfactoryresult；hedidnotgettheutmostthatwaspossiblefromhissubordinates。Thefactorofpopulationwasalmostdisregardedbyit，householdsverydifferentlyconstitutedinthisrespectwereassumedtobeequal，andthetenacityofcustompreventedanincreaseofrentsandlabour-servicesinproportiontothegrowthofresourceandwealthamongthepeasants。Someattemptstogetroundthesedifficultiesarenoticeableinthesurveys：theyaremostlyconnectedwiththeregulationofboon-works。Buttheseexceptionalmeasuresgiveindirectproofoftheveryinsufficientmannerinwhichthequestionwasgenerallysettled。
Theliabilitiesofthepeasantrytaketheshapeofproduce，labour，andmoney-rents。Almostineverymanorallthreekindsofimpositionsaretobefoundsplitupintoaconfusingvarietyofcustomaryobligations。Itisoutofthequestiontotraceatthepresenttime，withthehelpoffragmentaryandlatermaterial，whattheoriginalideaswerewhichunderliethesecomplicatedarrangements。Butalthoughareductiontosimpleguidingprinciplesaccountingforeverydetailcannotbeattempted，itiseasytoperceivethatchanceandfancywerenoteverythinginthesematters。Theseveraldutiesarebroughttogethersoastoformacertainwhole，andsomeoftheaimspursuedinthegroupingmaybeperceivedevennow。
Theoldersurveysoftenshowtheoperationofasystemwhichisadaptedbyitsveryessencetoaveryprimitivestateofsociety。Itmaybecalledthefarm-system，thewordfarmbeingusedintheoriginalsenseoftheSaxonfeorm，food，andnotinthelatermeaningoffixedrent，althoughthesetwomeaningsappearintimatelyconnectedinhistory。Thefarmisaquantityofproducenecessaryforthemaintenanceofthelord’shouseholdduringacertainperiod：itmaybeonenight’sorweek’soronefortnight’sfarmaccordingly。AverygoodinstanceofthesystemmaybefoundinanancientcartularyofRamsey，nowattheBritishMuseum，whichthoughcompiledintheearlythirteenthcentury，constantlyreferstotheorderofHenryII’stime。Theestatesoftheabbeyweretaxedinsuchawayastoyieldthirteenfullfarmsofafortnight，andeachofthesewastobeusedforthemaintenanceofthemonksthroughawholemonth。Theextensionoftheperiodisoddenough，andwedonotseeitsreasonclearly。ItfollowedprobablyongreatlossesinpropertyandincomeatthetimeofAbbotWalter。Howeverthismaybe，thethirteenfortnights’farmsweremadetoservealltheyearround，andtocoverfifty-twoweeksinsteadoftwenty-six。AveryminutedescriptionofthesinglefarmisgivenasitwaspaidbythemanorofAyllingtoni。e。Elton。Everykindofproduceismentioned：flourandbread，beerandhoney，bacon，cheese，lambs，geese，chicken，eggs，butter，&c。Thepriceofeacharticleismentionedinpence，anditisadded，thatfourpoundshavetobepaidinmoney。Bythesideoftheusualfarmthereappearsa’lent’farmwiththisdistinction，thatonlyhalfasmuchbaconandcheesehastobegivenasusual，andthedeficiencyistobemadeupbyamoneypayment。Someofthemanorsoftheabbeyhavetosendawholefarm，someothersonlyonehalf，thatisoneweek’sfarm，butallareassessedtopaysixteenpenceforeveryacretobeusedasalmsforthepoor。94*Thisdescriptionmaybetakenasastandardone，anditwouldbeeasytosupplementitinmanyparticularsfromtherecordsofothermonasticinstitutions。TherecordsofSt。Paul’s，London，supplyinformationastoadistributionofthefarmsatthecloseoftheeleventhcentury，whichcoveredfifty-twoweeks，sixdays，andfive-sixthsofaday。95*ThefirmaeofSt。Alban’swerereckonedtoprovideforthefifty-twoweeksoftheyear，andoneinadvance。96*Thepracticeofarrangingtheproduce-rentsaccordingtofarmswasbynomeansrestrictedtoecclesiasticalmanagement；itoccursalsoontheestatesoftheCrown，andwasprobablyinuseonthoseoflaylordsgenerally。EverypersonalittleconversantwithDomesdayknowsthefirmaeuniusnoctis，atwhichsomeoftheroyalmanorswereassessed。97*Intheperiodproperlycalledfeudal，thatisinthetwelfthandthirteenthcenturies，thefood-revenuehadveryoftenbecomeonlythestarting-pointforareckoningofmoney-rents。TheSt。Alban’sfarms，forexample，arenolongerdeliveredinkind；theirequivalentinmoneyhastakentheirplace。Butthepreviousstateofthingshasleftacleartraceinthedivisionbyweeks。