Twomills,7l。Is。8dAfishery,12d。
AwoodcalledBrekyngPark,containing480acres,andthebrushwoodthereisworth40s。
Grassinthewood12d。,becauseitgrowsonlyinafewplaces。
Pannagedutyfromtheswine,10s。
AnotherwoodcalledLeFloxcontains10acres,andthebrushwoodisworth6d。
Pannagefromtheswine,6d。
Grass,6d。
Arable,inallfields,510acres,theacrebeingassessedat6d。allround。
Eachploughmayeasilytilloneacreaday,iffourhorsesandtwooxenareputtoit。
Twomeadows,onecontainingeightacres,ofwhicheverysingleacreyields4s。ayear;theothermeadowcontainssevenacresofsimilarvalue。
Pastureinseveralty——30acres,at12d。anacre。
Ofthese,16acresaresetapartforoxenandhorses,and14
forcows。
Somesmallparticlesofpastureleasedouttothetenants,4s。
ThepriorandtheconventarelordsofthecommonpastureinBockyng,andmaysend100sheeptothesecommons,andtothefieldswhennotundercrop。Value20s。
Asimportantaniteminthecultivationofthehomefarmasthesoilitselfisaffordedbytheplough-teams。Thetreatisesonhusbandrygiveveryminuteobservationsontheircompositionandmanagement。Andalmostalwayswefindthemanorialteamssupplementedbytheconsuetudinesvillae,thatisbythecustomaryworkperformedondifferentdaysbythepeasantry。6*
Astothispointthecloseconnexionbetweendemesneandtributarylandisespeciallyclear;butafterallthathasbeensaidintheprecedingchapteritishardlynecessarytoaddthatitwasnotonlytheploughing-workthatwascarriedonbythelordwiththehelpofhissubjects。
Asamatteroffact,villageswithoutamanorialdemesneorwithoutsomedependencefromitarefoundonlyexceptionallyandinthosepartsofEnglandwherethefreepopulationhadbestkeptitsholdontheland,andwherethepowerofthelordwasmoreapoliticalthananeconomicaloneNorfolkandSuffolk,Lincoln,Northumberland,Westmoreland,etc。7*。Andtherearehardlyanycasesatallofthecontrary,thatisofdemesnelandspreadingoverthewholeofamanor。Tillingham,amanorofSt。Paul’s,London,comesverynearit:8*itcontains300acresashomefarm,andonly30acresofvillainland。Butasaset-off,aconsiderablepartofthedemesneisdistributedtosmallleaseholders。
Itmustbenotedthat,asageneralrule,thedemesnearableofthemanordidnotlieinonepatchapartfromtherest,butconsistedofstripsintermixedwiththoseofthecommunity。9*
Thisfactwouldshowbyitselfthattheoriginalsystem,accordingtowhichpropertyandhusbandrywerearrangedinmanorialgroups,wasbasedonacloseconnexionbetweenthedomanialandthetributaryland。Wemightevengofurtherandpointoutthatthemerefacilitiesofintercourseandjointworkarenotsufficienttoaccountforthisintermixtureofthestripsofthelordandofthehomage。Thedemesnelandappearsinfactasashareintheassociationofthevillage,alargesharebutstillonecommensuratewiththeotherholdings。Intworespectsthissubjectiontoahigherunitmustnecessarilyfollowfromtheintermixtureofstrips:inasmuchasthedemesneconsistsofplotsscatteredinthefurlongsofthetownship,itdoesnotappropriatethebestsoilorthebestsituation,buthastogatheritscomponentpartsinallthevariedcombinationsinwhichthecommonholdingshavetotaketheirs。Andbesidesthis,thedemesnestripswereevidentlymeanttofollowthesamecourseofhusbandryasthelandimmediatelyadjoiningthem,andtolapseintoundividedusewithsuchlandwhenthe’defence’seasonwasover。Separateorprivatepatchesexemptedfromthegeneralarrangementaretobefoundonmanyoccasions,buttheusualtreatmentofdemesnelandinthethirteenthcenturyiscertainlymoreinconformitywiththenotionthatthelord’slandisonlyoneofthesharesinthehighergroupofthevillagecommunity。
Themanagementoftheestate,thecollectionofrevenue,thesupervisionofwork,thepolicedutiesincumbentonthemanor,etc。,requiredaconsiderablenumberofforemenandworkmenofdifferentkinds。10*Greatlordsusuallyconfidedthegeneralsupervisionoftheirestatestoaseneschal,stewardorheadmanager,whohadtorepresentthelordforallpurposes,topresideatthemanorialcourts,toauditaccounts,toconductsworninquestsandextents,andtodecideastothegeneralhusbandryarrangements。Ineverysinglemanorwefindtwopersonsofauthority。Thebailifforbeadlewasanoutsiderappointedbythelord,andhadtolooktotheinterestsofhisemployer,tocollectrentsandenforceduties,tomanagethehomefarm,totakecareofthedomanialcattle,ofthebuildings,agriculturalimplements,etc。Thesefunctionswereoftenconferredbyagreementinconsiderationofafixedrent,andinthiscasethestewardorbeadletookthenameoffirmarius。11*Byhissideappearsthereeve,orpraepositus,nominatedfromamongthepeasantsofaparticulartownship,andmostlychosenbythem。12*Manorialinstructionsaddsometimesthatnovillainhasarighttoholdalooffromsuchanappointment,ifitisconferredonhim。13*Thereeveactsastherepresentativeofthevillagecommunity,aswellinregardtothelordasonpublicoccasions。Hemust,ofcourse,renderhelptothestewardinallthevariousdutiesofthelatter。Thereevehasmoreespeciallytosuperintendtheperformanceoflabourimposedonthepeasantry。Manorialploughings,reapings,andtheotherlikeoperationsareconductedbyhim,sometimeswiththehelpofthefreetenantsintheplace。Ofthepublicdutiesofthereevewehavehadoccasiontospeak。Fourmen,actingasrepresentativesofthevillage,accompanyhim。
Nextafterthereevecomes,onlargeestates,themessor,whotakeschargeoftheharvest,andsometimesactsascollectoroffinesimposedforthebenefitofthelord。14*Theakermanniorcarucariiaretheleadersoftheunwieldyploughsofthetime,15*andtheyarehelpedbyasetofdriversandboyswhohavetoattendtotheoxenorhorses。16*Shepherdsforeverykindofcattlearealsomentioned,17*aswellaskeepersandwardersofthewoodsandfences。18*IntheSuffolkmanorsofBurySt。Edmund’swefindthecurioustermkurardtodesignateapersonsuperintendingthehayharvest。19*
Bythesideofanumerousstaffbusywiththeeconomicmanagementoftheestate,severalpettyofficersarefoundtobeconcernedwiththepoliticalmachineryofthemanor。Thedutytocollectthesuitorsofthehundredandofthecountycourtissometimesfulfilledbyaspecial’turn-bedellus。’20*A
’vagiator’vadiator?serveswritsanddistrainsgoodsforrents。21*Thecarryingoflettersandordersisveryoftentreatedasaserviceimposedonparticulartenements。Itmustbenotedthatsometimesallthesedutiesareintimatelyconnectedwiththoseofthehusbandrysystemandimposedonalltheofficersofthedemesnewhoownhorses。22*
Athirdcategoryisformedbythehouse-servants,whodivideamongthemselvesthediversdutiesofkeepingaccounts,waitingonthelordpersonally,takingchargeofthewardrobe,ofthekitchen,etc。Themilitarysystemandthelackofsafetycalledforthanumerousretinueofarmedfollowersandguards。
All-in-allamightystaffofministeriales,astheywerecalledinGermany,cameintobeing。InEnglandtheyaretermedsergeantsandservants,servientes。InGlastonburyAbbeythereweresixty-sixservantsbesidestheworkmenandforemenemployedonthefarm。23*Suchanumberwasrenderednecessarybythegrandhospitalityofthemonastery,whichreceivedandentertaineddailythrongsofpilgrims。InBurySt。Edmund’sthewholestaffwasdividedintofivedepartments,andineachdepartmenttheemploymentswerearrangedaccordingtoastrictorderofprecedence。24*
Thematerialfortheformationofthisvastandimportantclasswassuppliedbythesubjectpopulationoftheestates。TheGloucestermanorialinstructionenjoinsthestewardstocollectoncertaindaystheentiregrown-uppopulationandtoselectthenecessaryservantsforthedifferentcallings。Itisalsoenactedthatthemenshouldnotbeleftwithoutdefinitework,thatincaseofnecessitytheyshouldbemovedfromoneposttotheother,25*etc。Therequirementsofthemanorialadministrationandofthelord’shouseholdopenedanimportantoutletforthevillagepeople。Partofthegrowingpopulationthusfoundemploymentoutsidethenarrowchannelofruralarrangements。Theelderoryoungerbrothers,asitmightbe,tookserviceatthelord’scourt。Thehusbandrytreatisesofthethirteenthcenturygofurtherandmentionhiredlabourersasanelementcommonlyfoundontheestate。Wefind,forinstance,anelaboratereckoningoftheworkperformedbygangsofsuchlabourershiredfortheharvest。26*Indocumentsstyled’Minister’sAccounts’
wemayalsofindproof,thatfromthethirteenthcenturydownwardstherequirementsofthelord’sestatearesometimesmetbyhiringoutsiderstoperformsomenecessarykindofwork。Thesephenomenahavetobeconsideredasexceptional,however,andinfactasanewdeparture。
Theofficersandservantswereremuneratedinvariousways。
Sometimestheywereallowedtoshareintheprofitsconnectedwiththeircharges。Theswine-herdofGlastonburyAbbey,forinstance,receivedonesucking-pigayear,theinteriorpartsofthebestpig,andthetailsofalltheotherswhichwereslaughteredintheabbey。27*Thechiefscullionscutellarius
hadarighttoallremnantsofviands,——butnotofgame,——tothefeathersandthebowelsofgeese。28*Again,allthehouseholdandworkmenconstantlyemployedhadcertainquantitiesoffood,drink,andclothingassignedtothem。29*OfoneoftheGlastonburyclerkswehearthathereceivedoneportionliberacioasamonkandasecondasaservant,andthatbyreasonofthislasthewasboundtoprovidethemonasterywithagoldsmith。30*
Thoseoftheforemenandlabourersofestateswhodidnotbelongtotheimmediatefollowingofthelordanddidnotliveinhiscentralcourtreceivedagratificationofanotherkind。Theywereliberatedfromthelabourandpaymentswhichtheywouldhaveotherwiserenderedfromtheirtenements。31*Theperformanceofthespecificdutiesofadministrationtooktheplaceoftheordinaryruralworkorrent,andinthiswaytheserviceofthelordwasfeudalisedonthesameprincipleastheking’sservice——itwasindissolublyconnectedwithland-holding。
Inmanorialextentswecomeconstantlyacrosssuchexemptedtenementsconcededwithoutanyruralobligationsorwiththereservationofaverysmallrent。Itisimportanttonotice,thatsuchexemptions,thoughtemporaryandcasualatfirst,wereultimatelyconsolidatedbycustomandevenconfirmedbycharters。
Awholespeciesoffreetenements,andanumerousone,goesbacktosuchprivilegesandexemptionsgrantedtoservants。32*Andsothisclassofpeople,intheformationofwhichunfreeelementsaresoclearlyapparent,becameoneofthesourcesinthedevelopmentoffreesociety。Suchimportanceandsuccessaretobeexplained,ofcourse,bytheinfluenceofthisclassintheadministrationandeconomicmanagementoftheestatesbelongingtothesecularandecclesiasticalaristocracy。Itisverydifficultatthepresenttimetorealisetheresponsibilityandstrengthofthiselement。Weliveinatimeoffreecontract,credit,highlymobilisedcurrency,easymeansofcommunication,andpowerfulpoliticalorganisation。Thereisnonecessityforcreatingastandingclassofsocietyforthepurposeofmediatingbetweenlordandsubject,betweenthemilitaryorderandtheindustrialorder。Everyfeatureofthemedievalsystemwhichtendedtodisconnectadjoininglocalities,tocutupthecountryintoaseriesofisolatedunits,contributedatthesametimetoraiseaclasswhichactedasakindofnervoussystem,connectingthedifferentpartswithacommoncentreandestablishingrationalintercourseandhierarchicalrelations。Thelibertinihadtofu1filkindredfunctionsintheancientworld,buttheirimportancewashardlysogreatasthatofmedievalsergeantsorministeriales。Wemaygetsomenotionofwhatthatpositionwasbylookingatthepersonalinfluenceandendowmentsofthechiefservantsinagreathouseholdofthethirteenthcentury。Thefirstcookandthegatekeeperofacelebratedabbeywererealmagnateswhoheldtheirofficesbyhereditarysuccession,andwereenfeoffedwithconsiderableestates。33*InGlastonburyfivecookssharedinthekitchen-fee。34*Theheadofthecellar,the