gatekeeper，andthechiefshepherdenterintoagreementsinregardtoextensiveplotsofland。35*Theyappearasentirelyfreetodisposeofsuchproperty，andateverystepwefindinthecartulariesofGlastonburyAbbeyproofsoftheexistenceofanumerousandpowerful’sergeant’class。JohnofNorwood，AbbotofBurySt。Edmund’s，hadtoresorttoaregularcoupd’閠atinordertodisplacetheprivilegedfamilieswhichhadgotholdoftheofficesandtreatedthemashereditaryproperty。36*Infactthegreat’sergeants’endedbyhamperingtheirlordsmorethanservingthem。Andthesamefactoftheriseofa’ministerial’classmaybenoticedoneverysingleestate，althoughitisnotsoprominentthereasinthegreatcentresoffeudallife。Thewholearrangementwasbrokenbythesubstitutionofthe’cashnexus’formoreancientkindsofeconomicrelationship，andbythespreadoffreeagreements：itisnotdifficulttoseethatboththesefactsactedstronglyinfavourofdrivingouthereditaryandcustomaryobligations。
Wehaveconsideredtherelativepositionoftheunfreeholdings，ofthedomaniallandaroundwhichtheyweregrouped，andoftheclasswhichhadtoputthewholemachineryofthemanorintoaction。Butincidentallywehadseveraltimestonoticeasetofmenandtenementswhichstoodinapeculiarrelationtothearrangementwehavebeendescribing：therewereinalmosteverymanorsomefreetenantsandsomefreetenementsthatcouldnotbeconsideredasbelongingtotheregularfabricofthewhole。theyhadtopayrentsoreventoperformlabourservices，buttheirobligationsweresubsidiarytotheworkofthecustomarytenantsonwhichthehusbandryofthemanorialdemesneleanedforsupport。Fromtheeconomicpointofviewwecanseenoinherentnecessityfortheconnexionoftheseparticularfreetenementswiththatparticularmanorialunit。Therent，largeorsmall，couldhavebeensentdirectlytothelord’shousehold，orpaidinsomeothermanorwithoutanyperceptiblealterationinfavourofeitherparty；thework，iftherewassuchtoperform，waswithoutexceptionofarathertriflingkind，andcouldhavebeeneasilydispensedwithandcommutedformoney。
Severalreasonsmaybethoughtoftoexplainthefactthatfreetenementsarethusgroupedalongwiththevillainholdingsandworkedintothatsingleunit，themanor。Itmaybeurgedthatthedivisionintomanorsisnotmerelyandperhapsnotchieflyaneconomicone，butthatitreflectsacertainpoliticalorganisation，whichhadtodealwithandtoclassfreetenantsaswellasservilepeople。Itmaybeconjecturedthatevenfromtheeconomicpointofview，althoughthecaseoffreetenantswouldhardlyhavecalledthemanorialunitintoexistence，itwasconvenienttousethatclasswhenoncecreatedforthegroupingofvillainlandandwork：whyshouldthefreetenantsnotjointhedivisionsformedforanotherpurposebutlocallywithineasyreachandthereforeconvenientlysituatedforsuchintercoursewiththelordaswasrenderednecessarybythecharacterofthetenement？Again，thegroupingoffreetenantsmayhaveoriginatedinatimewhentheconnexionwiththewholewasfeltmorestronglythaninthefeudalperiod；itmaypossiblygobacktoacommunitywhichhadnothingorlittletodowithsubjection，andinwhichthefreelandownersjoinedformutualsupportandorganisation。Itisnotimpossibletoassume，ontheotherhand，thatinmanycasesthefreetenantwasleftinthemanorialgroupbecausehehadbegunbybeinganunfreeandthereforeanecessarymemberofit。Allsuchsuppositionsseemprimafacieadmissibleandreasonableenough，andatthesametimeitisclear，thatbydecidinginfavourofoneofthemorbytherelativeimportanceassignedtoeachweshallverymateriallyinfluencethesolutionofinterestinghistoricalproblems，inordertoappreciaterightlythepositionofthefreetenementsinthemanorwehavetoexaminewhetherthesetenementsareallofoneandthesamekindornot，andthismustbedonenotfromthelegalstandpointwhenceithasalreadybeenreviewed，butinconnexionwiththepracticalmanagementoftheestate。Ithinkthatasurveyofthedifferentmeaningswhichthetermbearsinourdocumentsmustleadustorecognisethreechiefdistinctions：firstthereisfreelandwhichonceformedpartofthedemesnebuthasbeenseparatedfromit；thenthereisthelandheldbyvillagersoutsidetheregulararrangementsoftheruralcommunity，andlastlythereareancientfreeholdingsofthesameshapeastheserviletenements，thoughdifferingfromthelatterinlegalcharacter。Eachclasswillnaturallyfallintosubdivisions。37*
Underthefirstheaditistobeobservedthatdomaniallandveryoftenlostitsdirectconnexionwiththelord’shousehold，andwasgivenawaytodependentpeopleoncertainconditions。OneofthequestionsaddressedtothejuriesbytheGlastonburyinquestof1189waspromptedbythispractice：itwasaskedwhatdemesnelandhadbeengivenoutunderfreeagreementorservileconditions，andwhetheritwasadvantageoustokeeptothearrangementornot。Oneofthereasonswhichlayattherootoftheprocesshasbeenalreadytouchedupon。Grantsofdomaniallandoccurcommonlyinreturnforservicesrenderedintheadministrationofthemanor：reeves，ploughmen，herdsmen，woodwardsaresometimesrecompensedinthismannerinsteadofbeingliberatedfromthedutiesincumbentontheirholding。A
smallrentwasusuallyaffixedtotheplotseveredfromthedemesne，andthewholearrangementmayberegardedasverylikeanordinarylease。Anattenuatedformofthesamethingmaybenoticedwhensomeofficerorservantwaspermittedtousecertainplotsofdomaniallandduringthetenureofhisoffice。Ithappened，forinstance，thatacotterwasentrustedtotakecareofateamofoxenbelongingtothelordorobligedtodrivehisplough。Hemightberepaideitherbyleavetousethemanorialploughonhisownlandonspecifiedoccasions，orelsebyanassignmenttohimofthecroponcertainacresofthehomefarm。38*Suchprivilegesaresometimesgrantedtovillagerswhodonotseemtobepersonallyemployedinthemanorialadministration，butsuchcasesarerare，andmustbeduetospecialreasonswhichescapeournotice。
Itisquitecommon，ontheotherhand，tofinddeficienciesinthenormalholdingsmadeupfromthedemesne，e。g。agroupofpeasantsholdfiveacresapieceinthefields，andoneofthesetcannotreceivehisfullshare：thefailingacresaresuppliedbythedemesne。Evenanentirevirgateorhalf-virgatemaybeformedinthisway。39*Sometimesaplotofthelord’slandisgiventocompensatethebadqualityofthepeasant’sland。40*Ofcourse，suchsurrendersofthedemesnesoilwerebynomeanspromptedbydisinterestedphilanthropy。Theyweremadetoenablethepeasantrytobearitsburdens，andmay-betogetridofpatchesofbadsoilorgroundthatwasinconvenientlysituated。41*Inanumberofcasesthesegrantsofdemesneareactualleases，andprobablytheresultofhardbargains。
Howeverthismightbe，wefindalongsideoftheestatefarmedforthelord’sownaccountagreatportionofthedemesneconcededtothevillagers。Theterm’inland，’whichoughtproperlytodesignateallthelandbelongingdirectlytothelord，issometimesappliedtoplotswhichhavebeensurrenderedtothepeasantry，andsodistinguishesthemfromtheregularcustomaryholdings。42*Suchconcessionsofdemesnelandwerenotmeanttocreatefreeholdtenements。Theirtenurewasprecarious，therightofresumptionwasmoreexpresslyrecognisedinthecaseofsuchplotsthaninthatofanyotherformofruraloccupation，buttherightsthusacquiredtendedtobecomeperpetual，likeeverythingelseinthisfeudalworld；andastheywerefoundedonagreementandpaidforwithmoneyrents，theirtransformationintopermanenttenuresledtoanincreaseoffreetenementsandnotofvillainage。WecatchaglimpseoftheprocessintheDomesdayofSt。Paul’s。In1249acovenantwasmadebetweentheChapteroftheCathedralanditsvillagersofthemanorofBeauchampinEssex：inconsequenceoftheagreementalltheconcessionsofdemesnelandwhichhadbeenmadebythefarmerswereconfirmedbytheChapter。Theinquestsshowthatthosewhofarmedtheestateshadextensiverightsastotheuseofdomanialland，buttheirdealingswiththecustomarytenantswerealwaysopentoarevisionbythelandlords。AconfirmationlikethisBeauchamponetransferredtheplotofdemesnelandintotheclassoffreetenements，andcreatedatenuredefensibleatlaw。43*Allsuchfactsincreaseinnumberandimportancewiththeincreaseofpopulation：underitspressuretheareaofdirectcultivationforthelordisgraduallylessened，andinmanysurveyswefindasortofbeltformedaroundthehomefarmbytheintrusionofthedependentpeopleintothelimitsofthedemesne。44*TheDomesdayofSt。Paul’sisespeciallyinstructiveonthispoint。Everyestateshowsonepartofthelord’slandinthepossessionofthepeasants；sometimesthe’dominicumantiquitusassisum’isfollowedby’terraedenovotraditae。’45*
Asecondgroupoffreetenementsconsistsofplotswhichdidnotbelongeithertothedemesneortotheregularholdingsinthefields，butlaybythesideoftheseholdingsandwereparcelledoutinvaryingquantityandundervariousconditions。
Wemaybeginbynoticingthegrowthofleases。Thereisnodoubtthatthelease-systemwasgrowinginthethirteenthcentury，andthatitisnotadequatelyreflectedinourdocuments。Anindirectproofofthisisgivenbythefact，thatlegalpracticewaslabouringtodiscovermeansofprotectionforpossessionbasedontemporaryagreement。Thewrit’Quareejecitinfraterminum’
inventedbyWilliamRaleighbetween1236and1240protectedthepossessionofthe’tenantfortermofyears’whoformerlyhadbeenregardedashavingnomorethanapersonalrightenforceablebyanactionofcovenant。46*
Manorialextentsaresparingintheirnoticesofleasesbecausetheirobjectistopicturethedistributionofownership，andtemporaryagreementsarebeyondtheirrange。Butitisnotuncommontofindamanholdingasmallpieceoflandforhislifeatasubstantialrent。Inthiscasehistenureisreckonedfreehold，butstillheholdsunderwhatweshouldnowcallaleaseforlife；therentisasubstantialreturnforthelandthathehashired。ThatEnglishlawshouldregardthesetenantsunderleasesforlifeasfreeholders，should，thatis，throwthemintoonegreatclasswithtenantswhohaveheritablerights，whodobutmilitaryserviceornominalservice，whoareinfactifnotinnametheownersoftheland，isveryremarkable；hirersaremingledwithowners，becauseaccordingtothegreatgeneralisationofEnglishfeudalismeveryownerisafterallbutahirer。Stillwecanmarkoffforeconomicpurposesaclassoftenantswhomwemaycall’life-leaseholders，’andwecanseealsoasmallerclassofleaseholderswhoholdfortermsofyears。47*
Theyoftenseemtoowetheirexistencetotheactionofthemanorialbailiffsorthefarmerstowhomthedemesnehasbeenlet。Wearetoldthatsuchandsuchapersonhas’entered’thetenementbytheleaveofsuchandsuchafarmerorbailiff，orthatthetenementdoesnotbelongtotheoccupierbyhereditaryright，butbythebailiff’sprecept。48*Remarksofthatkindseemtomeanthattheserent-payingplots，liberatedfromservileduties，wereespeciallyliabletotheinterferenceofmanorialofficers。Limitsoftimearerarelymentioned，andleasesforlifeseemtobethegeneralrule。49*Thetenureisonlyinthecourseofformation，andbynomeansclearlydefined。Onedoesnotevensee，forinstance，howthequestionofimplementsandstockwassettled——whethertheywereprovidedbythelandlordorbythetenant。
Wefeelourwaywithmuchgreatersecurityinanotherdirection。Thefieldsofthevillagecontainmanyanookoroddbitwhichcannotbesqueezedintothevirgatearrangementandintothesystemofworkanddutiesconnectedwithit。These’subsecivae，’astheRomanswouldhavesaid，werealwaysdistributedforsmallrentsinkindorinmoney。50*Themanorialadministrationmayalsoexcludefromthecommonarrangemententireareasoflandwhichitisthoughtadvantageoustogiveoutforrent。Thosewhotakeitaremostlythesamevillagerswhopossesstheregularholdings，buttheirtitleisdifferent；inonecaseitisbasedonagreement，intheotheroncustom。51*Plotsofthiskindarecalledforlands。52*Incloseconnexionwiththemwefindtheessartsorassarts-landnewlyreclaimedfromthewaste，andthereforenotmappedoutaccordingtotheoriginalplanofpossessionandservice。TheSurveysoftenmarkthedifferentepochsofcultivation——theoldandthenewessarts。53*Thedocumentsshowalsothatthespreadoftheareaundercultivationwaseffectedindifferentways；
sometimesbyasinglesettlerwithhelpfromthelord，54*andsometimesbytheentirevillage，oratanyratebyalargegroupofpeasantswhoclubtogetherforthepurpose。55*Inthefirstcasetherewasnoreasonforbringingthereclaimedspaceundertheswayofthecompulsoryrotationofcropsortheotherregulationsofcommunalagriculture。Inthesecond，thedistributionoftheacresandstripsamongthevarioustenantswasproportionedtotheirholdingsintheancientlandsofthevillage。Therentsonessartlandseemverylow，andnowonder：