Thepassageoccursinacaserelatingtoancientdemesne，butthestatementismadequitebroadly，andtheterm’socmen’isusedwithoutanyqualification。AsthereweremanysocmenoutsidetheKing’spossessionsonthelandoflayandspirituallords，suchusagemaybetakenasproofthatthepositionofallthesepeoplewasmoreorlessidentical。Andsoinourinquiryastothecharacteristictraitsofsocagegenerallywemaystartfromtheancientdemesne。Further，weseethatthesocman’stenureisdistinguishedfromfreetenure，socmenfromfreeholders。Inthelawbooksofthetimethefreebutnon-militarytenurehastobecharacterisednotmerelyassocage，butasfreesocage：thisfactwillgiveusasecondclueinanalysingthecondition。
Therearetwoleadingfeaturesinancientdemesnesocage：itiscertainintenureandservice，anditisheldbythecustomofthemanorandnotbyfeoffment。Thecertaintyofthetenureseverstheclassofsocmenfromthevillains，andistobefoundaswellinthecaseofsocmenoutsidethecrowndemesneasinthecaseofsocmenonthecrowndemesne。Whatistobesaidofthesecond。trait？Itseemsespeciallyworthyofnotice，becauseitcannotbesaidtobelongtofreeholdgenerally。AstoitsexistenceonancientdemesnelandIhavealreadyhadoccasiontospeak，anditcanhardlybedoubted。Iwilljustrecalltothereader’smindthefundamentalfacts：thatthe’littlewritofright’wastoinsurejusticeaccordingtothecustomofthemanor，andthatourdocumentsdistinguishinasmanywordsbetweenthecustomaryadmittanceofthesocmanandthefeoffmentofthefreeholder。Thismeans，thatincaseoflitigationtheonehadwarrantyandchartertoleanupon，whiletheotherhadtoappealtothecommunaltestimonyofhisfellow-suitorsinthecourtofthemanor，andinlaterdaystoanentryonthecourt-roll。Freeholdappearedascharteredlandbook-land，whilesocagewasintruthcopyholdsecuredbycommunalcustom。42*Thenecessarysurrenderandadmittancewasperformedinopencourt，andthepresenceoffellow-tenantswasasmucharequisiteofitastheactionofthelordorhissteward。
Ifwelooknowtothesocmenoutsidetheancientdemesne，weshallfindtheirconditionsocloselysimilar，thatthedocumentsconstantlyconfusethemwiththetenantsoftheancientdemesne。
ThefreemenundersokeintheeastofEnglandhavebestkeptthetradition，buteventheirrightisoftentreatedasamerevariationofancientdemesne。43*Forthisreasonweshouldbefairlyentitled，Ithink，toextendtothemthenotionofcustomaryfreehold。Thereisdirectevidenceinthisrespect。Inextentsofmanorssocmenareoftendistinguishedfromfreeholders。44*True，asalreadysaid，thatintheking’scourts’freesocage’cametoberegardedasoneofthefreeholdtenures，andassuchwhennotontheancientdemesnewasprotectedbythesameactionswhichprotectedknight-serviceandfrankalmoign；butwehaveonlyhereanotherproofoftheimperfectharmonybetweenlegaltheoryandmanorialadministration。Whatservesinthemanorialdocumentstodistinguishthe’socman’fromthe’freeholder’isthefactthattheformerholdswithoutcharter。45*Wearenaturallyledtoconsiderhimasholding，atleastoriginally，byancientcustomandcommunaltestimonyinthesamesenseasthesocmenofancientdemesne。Inmostcasesonlythenegativeside，namelytheabsenceofacharter，ismentioned，butthereareentrieswhichdisclosethepositiveside，andspeakoftenantsorevenfreetenantsholdingwithoutcharterbyancienttenure。46*Itistobeadded，thatwefindsuchpeopleincentralandwesterncounties，thatisoutsideoftheDanelagh。InDomesdaytheirpredecessorswereenteredasvillains，buttheirtenureisneverthelessnotonlyafreebutanancientone。
Itmustalsobeaddedthatitisnotonlyfreesocmenthatonefindsoutsidetheancientdemesne；bondsocmenarementionedaswell。Nowthisseemsstrangeatfirstsight，becausetheusualandsettledterminologytreatsvillainsocageasapeculiarityofancientdemesne，Mynotionisthatitisnot’bond’thatqualitiesthe’socmen，’butviceversa。Toputitinadifferentway，thedocumentshadtonameaclasswhichheldbycertaincustom，althoughbybaseservice，andtheyaddedthe’socman’toqualifythe’bond’orthe’villain。’
TwocasesfromtheHundredRollsmayserveasanillustrationofthisnotunimportantpoint。ThevillofSohaminCambridgeshire47*wasownedin1279partlybytheKing，partlybytheEarlMarshall，andpartlybytheBishopofEly。TherearetwosocmenholdingfromtheKingthirtyacreseach，fourteensocmenholdingfifteenacreseach，andtwenty-six’toftarii’
possessedofsmallplots。Novillainsarementioned，butthesocmenaredesignatedonthemargininamoredefinitewayasbondsocmen。ThemanorhadbeeninthepossessionoftheCrownatthetimeoftheConquest，anditistobenoticed，tobeginwith，thatthechiefpopulationofthepartwhichremainedwiththeKingappearsassocmen——agoodillustrationoftheprinciplethatthespecialstatusdidnotoriginatewhenthemanorwasgrantedoutbytheCrown。Thesixteenpeasantsfirstmentionedareholdersofvirgatesandhalf-virgates，andformasitweretheoriginalstockofthetenantry——itwouldbeimpossibletoregardthemasalateradjuncttothevillage。Theirstatusisnotaresultofcommutation——theyarestillperformingagriculturalwork，andthereforebondsocmen。TheDomesdaySurveyspeaksonlyofvillainsand’bordarii，’anditisquiteclearthatitcallsvillainsthepredecessorsofthe’bondsocmen’oftheHundredRolls。AndnowletusexaminetheportionofthemanorwhichhadgotintothehandsoftheEarlMarshall。Wefindthereseveralfreesocmenwhoseholdingsarequiteirregularinsize：theypayrent，andareexemptedfromagriculturalwork。
Thencomefivebondsocmen，holdingthirtyacreseach，andninebondsholdingfifteenacreseach：alltheseperformthesameservicesasthecorrespondingpeopleoftheKing’sportion。Andlastlycometwenty-twotofters。Twofactsareespeciallyworthnotice：thefreesocmanappearsbythesideofthebondsocman，andtheoppositionbetweenthemreducesitselftoadifferencebetweenrent-payingpeopleandlabourers；theholdingsoftherent-payersarebrokenupintoirregularplots，whilethelabourersstillremainboundupbythesystemofequalisedportions。Thesecondsignificantfactis，thattheterm’socman，’
whichhasevidentlytobeappliedtothewholepopulationexceptthetofters，hasdroppedoutinregardtothehalf-virgatetenantsoftheEarlMarshall。Ifwehadonlythefragmentrelatingtohisninebondmen，wemightconcludeperhapsthattherewasnocertaintenureinthemanor。Theinferencewouldhavebeenfalse，butagoodmanyinferencesastothesocialstandingofthepeasantryarebasedonnobetterfoundation。InanycasethemostimportantpartofthepopulationofSoham，asfarasitbelongedtothekingandtotheearl，consistedofsocmenwhoatthesametimearecalledbondmen，andwerecalledvillainsinDomesday。
Sohamisancientdemesne。LetusnowtakeCrowmarshinOxfordshire。48*Two-thirdsofitbelongedtotheEarlofOxfordin1279，andone-thirdtotheLorddeValence。AtthetimeoftheDomesdaySurveyitwasinthehandsofWalterGiffard，andthereforenotancientdemesne。OnthelandoftheEarlofOxfordwefindin1279nineservisocomanniholdingsixvirgates，thereareafewcottersandafewfreetenantsbesides；theremainingthirdisoccupiedbytwo’tenentesperserviciumsocomannorum，’
andbyacertainnumberofcottersandfreetenants。Itcanhardlybedoubtedthattheoppositionbetweenserviandliberiisnotbasedonthecertaintyofthetenure；thesocmenholdassecurelyasthefreetenants，buttheyarelabourers，whiletheselatterareexemptedfromtheagriculturalworkofthevillage。
Thetermsareusedinthesamewayasthe’terralibera’andthe’terraoperabilis’oftheGlastonburyinquest。
Ineednotsaythatthesocmenofancientdemesne，privilegedvillainsasBractoncallsthem，aresometimessubjectedtoveryburdensomeservicesandduties。Merchetisverycommonamongthem；itevenhappensthattheyhavetofineforitatthewillofthelord。49*Butalltheincidentsofbasetenurearetobefoundalsooutsidetheancientdemesneinconnexionwiththeclassunderdiscussion。IfwetakethemerchetweshallfindthatatMagnaTywa，Oxon，50*itiscustomarytogivethestewardaswordandfourpenceforlicencetogiveawayone’sdaughterwithintwentymilesintheneighbourhood；inHaneberg，Oxon，51*
aspearandfourpencearegiveninpayment。ThesocmenofPeterboroughAbbey52*havetopayfiveshillingsandfourpenceunderthenameofmerchetasafineforincontinencethelegerwiteproperlyso-called，andthereisbesidesamarriagepaymentredempciosanguinisequalforsocmenandvillains。ThesamepaymentoccursinthelandofSpaldingPriory，Lincoln。53*
Thesamefactstrikesusinregardtotallageandaids，i。e。thetaxeswhichthelordhadarighttoraisefromhissubjects。InStokeBasset，Oxon，54*thesocmenareplacedinthisrespectonthesamefootingwiththevillains。TheSpaldingCartularyaddsthattheirwainageissafeinanycase。55*Onthelandsofthispriorytheclassesofthepeasantryaregenerallyveryneartoeachother，sothatincidentsandtermsoftengetconfused。56*
Andnotonlysocmenhavetobearsuchimpositions：wefindthemconstantlyinallshapesandgradationsinconnectionwithfreetenantry。Thesmallfreeholderoftentakespartinruralwork，57*sometimeshehastoactasakindofoverseer，58*
andinanycasethisbaselabourwouldnotdegradehimfromhisposition。59*AlreadyinBracton’sdaythelearnedthoughtthattheterm’socage’wasetymologicallyconnectedwiththedutyofploughing：——acuriousproofbothoftherapiditywithwhichpasthistoryhadbecomeunintelligible，andoftheperfectcompatibilityofsocagewithlabourservices。Merchet，heriot，andtallageoccurevenmoreoften。60*Allsuchexactionstestifytothefactthattheconceptionsoffeudallawastotheservilecharacterofparticularservicesandpaymentswereinagreatmeasureartificial。Tallage，evenarbitrarytallage，wasbutataxafterall，anddidnotdetractfrompersonalfreedomorfreetenureinthissense。ThenheriotoftenoccursamongfreepeopleintheoldSaxonformofasurrenderofhorseandarmsaswellasinthatofthebestox。61*Merchetisespeciallyinterestingasillustratingthefusionofdifferentdutiesintoone。Itisthebasepaymentparexcellence，andoftenusedinmanorialdocumentsasameanstodrawthelinebetweenfreeandunfreemen。62*Neverthelessfreetenantsareveryoftenfoundtopayit。63*Inmostcasestheyhaveonlytofineinthecasewhentheirdaughtersleavethemanor，andthis，ofcourse，hasnothingdegradinginit：thepaymentismadebecausethelordlosesallclaimastotheprogenyofthewomanwhohaslefthisdominion。Butthereisevidencebesidestoshowthatfreetenantshadoftentopayinsuchacasetothehundred，andthelordshadnotalwayssucceededindispossessingthehundred。64*Suchafineprobablydevelopedoutofapaymenttothetribeortoaterritorialcommunityinthecasewhenawomanseveredherselffromit。Ithadnothingservileinitsorigin。Andstill，ifthedocumentshadnotcasuallymentionedtheseinstances，weshouldhavebeenleftwithoutdirectevidenceastoadifferenceoforigininregardtomerchetorgersum。Isitnotfairtoask，whetherthemerchetofthevillainsthemselvesmaynotinsomeinstanceshavecomefromacustomaryrecompensepaidoriginallytothecommunityofthetownshipintotherightsofwhichthelordhasentered？Howeverthismaybe，onefactcancertainlynotbedisputed：menentirelyfreeinstatusandtenureweresometimessubjectedtoanexactionwhichbothpublicopinionandlegaltheoryconsideredasabadgeofservitude。
Thepassagefromonegreatclassofsocietytotheotherwasrenderedeasyinthiswaybythevarietyofcombinationsinwhichthedistinguishingfeaturesofbothclassesappear。Nowonderthatwehearconstantlyofoppressionwhichtendedtosubstituteoneformofsubjectionforanother，andthustolowerthesocialstandingofintermediategroups。ThefreesocmenofSwaffhamPrior，inCambridgeshire，65*complainthattheyaremadetobindsheaveswhiletheydidnotdoitbefore；theyusedtopaythirty-twopenceforlicencetomarryadaughter，andtogiveatwofoldrentonenteringaninheritance，andnowthelordfinesthematwill。OneofthetenantsoftheBishopofLincoln66*
declarestotheHundredRollCommissionersthathisancestorswerefreesocmenanddidservicetothekingforfortydaysattheirowncost，whereasnowtheBishophasappropriatedtheroyalrights。Thesamegrievancescomefromancientdemesnepeople。InWeston，Bedfordshire，67*thetenantrycomplainofnewexactionsonthepartofthelord；inKing’sRipton，68*Hunts，merchetisintroducedwhichwasneverpaidbefore；inCollecot，Berks，69*
thelordhassimplydispossessedthesocmen。Insomeinstancestheclaimsofthepeasantrymayhavebeenexaggerated，butI
thinkthatinallprobabilitythechanceswereratheragainstthesubjectedpeoplethanforthem，andtheirgrievancesarerepresentedinourdocumentsratherlessthanfairly。70*