Villainage in England: Essays in English Mediaeval History

390

Cotton MSS. Tiberius B. ii, and Claudius C. xi.

391

Cotton MSS. Claudius C. xi, f. 49, a: 'De hundredariis et libere tenentibus. Philippus de insula tenet 16 acras de wara et debet sectas ad curiam Elyensem et ad curiam de Wilburtone et in quolibet hundredo per totum annum,' etc. For a more detailed discussion of the position of hundredors, see Appendix.

392

In the description of Aston and Cote, a submanor of Bampton, Oxfordshire, hundredarii are mentioned in Rot. Hundr. ii. 689.

393

Leg. Henrici I, c. 7. The point has been lately elucidated by Maitland, Suitors of the County Court, Eng. Hist. Rev., July 1888, and Round, Archaeological Review, iv.

394

Gloucester Cart. iii. 193: 'Et dicunt quod predictus Thomas et socii sui subscripti debent aquietare villam de quolibet hundredo Cyrencestriae et de Respethate praeterquam ad visum franciplegii bis in anno.' Ramsey Inqu., Cotton MSS. Galba E. x, 35: 'Sequebatur comitatum et hundredum pro dominico abbatis.' Madox, Hist. of the Exchequer, i. 74: 'Serviet eis nominatim in omnibus placitis ad quae convenienter summonitus erit et ad defensionem totius villae Estone aderit in hundredis et scyris in quibus erit quantum poterit.' Warwickshire Hundr. Roll, Q.R. Misc. Books, No. 29, f. 73, a: 'Seriancia ad comitatum et hundredum.'

395

Ramsey Cart. i. 438: 'J.R. tenet dimidiam hydam de veteri feoffamento et non reddit per annum aliquem censum abbati, quia est una de quattuor virgatis quae defendunt totam villatam de secta comitatus et hundredi per annum.'

396

Gloucester Cart. iii. 77: 'Henricus de Marwent tenet unam virgatam continentem 48 acras … et facit forinseca [servitia], scil. sectas comitatus et hundredi, et alia forinseca.' Cf. Cart. of Shaftesbury, 65. '… defendebat terram suam de omnibus forinsecis avencionibus.'

397

Seebohm, Village Community, 37, 38; Scrutton, Common Fields, 39.

398

See the instances collected by Maitland, Introduction to Rolls of Manorial Courts, Selden Soc., Ser. II, p. xxix, note 2.

399

Maitland, op. c.

400

A few instances among many: Gloucester Cart. iii. 49: 'Radulfus de E. tenet unam virgatam terrae continentem 48 acras et reddit inde per annum non reditum aliquem, sed sequetur comitatum Warwici et hundredum de Kingtone pro domino, et curiam de Clifforde pro omni servitio.' There are four other 'virgatarii liberi' besides this one. Domesday of St. Paul's (Camden Soc.), 30: 'Thomas arkarius (tenet) iv virgatas pro 28 solidis et debet facere sectam sire et hundredi.' He is a freeholder. Worcester Cart. (Camden Soc.), 64, C: 'De liberis Ricardus de Salford tenet dimidiam hidam de priore, quam Thomas de Ruppe tenuit de eo, et facit regale servitium tantum, et debet esse coram justiciariis itinerantibus pro defensione villae ad custum suum.' The Ely 'hundredarii' are distinguished from the villains, and form by themselves a group which ranks next to the 'libere tenentes' or with them.

401

Ramsey, Inqu. Cotton MSS. Galba, E. x, f. 52: 'Ecclesia ipsius ville possidet dimidiam hidam liberam et presbiter debet esse quartus eorum qui sequuntur comitatum et hundredum cum custamento suo.' Cf. 40, 54. Instead of attending separately the priest comes to be included among the four hundredors.

402

Britton, i. 177 sqq. See Maitland's Introd. to Manorial Rolls, p. xxvii.

403

Maitland, op. c. pp. xxix, xxx.

404

Leg. Henrici I. c. 8.; Cf. Ely Register, Cotton MSS., Claudius, C. xi, 52, a: 'et libere tenentes sui qui tenent per socagium debent unam sectam ad frendlese hundred, scil. ad diem Sabbati proximum post festum St. Michaelis.' The expression 'friendless' is peculiar. It appears in other instances in the Ely Surveys. May it not mean, that all the free tenants, even the small ones, had to attend and could not be represented by their fellows or 'friends'?

405

Glastonbury Cart., Wood MSS., i. f. 233, a: 'et N. et G. veniunt et defendunt vim et iniuriam et talem sectam qualem ab eis exigit et bene cognoscunt quod per attornatos suos debent ipsi facere duas sectas per annum ad duos lagedaios … sed si aliquis latro fuerit ibi iudicandus tunc debent liberi homines sui et prepositi uel seruientes sui debent interesse ad predictum hundredum ad faciendum iudicium et non ipsi in propria persona sua.' Cf. Malmesbury Cart. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 178: 'Item recognouit sectam ad hundredum de Malmesburia per se vel per sufficientem attornatum suum. Item recognouit et concessit quod omnes liberi homines sui de Estleye sequantur de hundredo in hundredum apud Malmesburiam sicut aliquo tempore predecessorum suorum facere consueverunt.'

406

This may possibly account for the curious fact, that in every manor there are some tenants called 'Freeman,' 'Frankleyn,' and the like. They seem to be there to keep up the necessary tradition of the free element. For instance: Eynsham Cart. MSS. of the Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, xxix. f. 4, a: 'Iohannes Freman de Shyfford tenet unam virgatam per cartam … facit sectam ad comitatum et hundredum et hac de causa tenet tenementum suum.' Cf. Coram Rege 27 Henry III, m. 3: 'Dicunt quod non est aliquis liber homo in eodem manerio nisi Willelmus filius Radulfi qui respondet infra corpus comitatus.' The fact is well known to all those who have had anything to do with manorial records.

407

Cf. Maitland, Suitors of the County Court, Eng. Hist. Review, July, 1888.

408

Is it not possible to explain by the 'hundredor' the following difficult passage in Domesday, ii. 100? 'Hugo de Montfort invasit tres liberos homines … unus ex his jacet ad feudum Sancti Petri de Westmonasterio testimonio hundredi, sed fuit liberatus Hugoni in numero suorum hundredorum (corr. hundredariorum?) ut dicunt sui homines.' It is true that the term does not occur elsewhere in Domesday, but the reading as it stands appears very clumsy, and the emendation proposed would seem the easiest way to get out of the difficulty.

409

Y.B. 21/22 Edw. I. (ed. Horwood), pp. xix, 499.

410

I may be excused for again referring to the Stoneleigh Reg. f. 32, d: 'Quidam tenentes eiusdem manerii tenent terras et tenementa sua in Sokemannia in feodo et hereditate de qua quidem tenura talis habetur et omne tempore habebatur consuetudo videlicet quod quando aliquis tenens eiusdem tenure terram suam alicui alienare voluerit veniat in curiam coram ipso Abbate vel eius senescallo et per vergam sursum reddat in manum domini terram sic alienandam ad opus illius qui terram illam optinebit … Et si aliquis terram aliquam huiusmodi tenure infra manerium predictum per cartam vel sine carta absque licentia dicti Abbatis alienaverit aliter quam per sursum reddicionem in curia in forma predicta, quod terra sic extra curia alienata domino dicti manerii erit forisfacta in perpetuum.'

411

Madox, Exch. i. 724, e: 'Monstraverunt Regi homines et tenentes de soca de Oswald Kirke in Com. Nottinghamiae, quod cum soka illa dudum fuisset antiquum dominicum coronae Angliae et dominus Henricus quondam Rex Angliae progenitor Regis socam illam cum pertinenciis dedisset et concessisset Henrico de Hastyngges habendam et tenendam ad communem legem … Ac licet homines et tenentes predicti et antecessores sui homines et tenentes de soca illa inter homines communitatis comitatus Nottinghamiae et non cum tenentibus de antiquis dominicis Coronae Regis a tempore escambii predicti talliari consueverunt, assessores tamen tallagii Regis in dominicis in Comitatu Nottinghamiae praedicto … (eos) una cum illis de dominicis Regis praedictis talliari fecerunt.' Cf. 428, b, c.

412

Rot. Hundr. ii. 608, a: 'Liberi tenentes … liberi sokemanni.' Cf. 752, a.

413

Inquisit. post mortem 53 Henry III, n. 4 (Record Office): 'Libere tenentes ad voluntatem … libere tenentes in socagio … libere tenentes per cartam.' Rot. Hundr. ii. 471, a. See Appendix xii.

414

Warwicksh. Hund. Roll. Q.R. Misc. books, xxix. p. 44, b: '(tenens) per antiquam tenuram sine carta.' Gloucester Cart. iii. 67: 'de liberis tenentibus dicunt quod haeredes O.G. tenent tres virgatas terrae de antiqua tenura.' Cf. iii. 47, 69. Christ Church Cart., Canterbury, Add. MSS. 6159, p. 70: 'isti tenent antiquo dominico … isti tenent antiquum tenementum … inferius notati sunt operarii.' Domesday of St. Paul's, 46, 47: 'de antiqua hereditate.' Cf. Pollock, Land-laws (2nd ed), p. 209.

415

Rot. Hundr. ii. 501, b.

416

Rot Hundr. ii. 774.

417

Coram Rege, Hill. 30 Edw. I, m. 17 '(servicia sokemannorum) … merchet ad voluntatem.'

418

Rot. Hundr. ii. 846, a.

419

Rot. Hundr. ii. 781, b.

420

Peterborough Cart., Cotton MSS., Faustina, B. iii. f. 97, 98.

421

Spalding Priory Cart., Cole MSS., xliii. p. 296.

422

Rot. Hundr. ii. 780 b.

423

Spalding Cart. p. 295.

424

Ibid. p. 283: 'bondus dat auxilium … scil. omnes sokemanni unam marcam.' Cf. 292.

425

Ely Inqu., Cotton MS., Claudius, C. xi. 50, b: 'Tota villata tam liberi, quam alii debent facere 40 perticatas super Calcetum de Alderhe [Aldreth's Causeway] sine cibo et opere.' Cf. Domesday of St. Paul's, 75.

426

Domesday of St. Paul's, 76, 77; Rot. Hundr. ii. 764, b.

427

Domesday of St. Paul's, 32: 'Omnes isti libere tenentes metunt et arant ad precarias domini et ad cibum eius sine forisfacto.' The general rule is, that freeholders join only in the boon-works (precariae) and not in the regular week-work. But socmen are found engaged in this latter also.

428

Ely Inqu., Cotton MSS., Claudius, C. xi. f. 266: 'De feodis militum et libere tenentibus … heriet … relevium … sed non dabit tallagium et gersumam.' 167 b: 'herietum … relevium … pannagium … tallagium.' Ramsey Cart. i. 297.

429

Gloucester Cart. iii. 49 and 46; Battle Cart., Augm. Off. Misc. Books, N. 57, f. 10, b.

430

Ely Inqu., Cotton MSS., Claudius, C. xi. f. 186, b: 'Omnes custumarii preter liberos qui non dant gersumam pro filiis et filiabus …'

431

E. g. ibid. 44, a.

432

Bury St. Edmund's Registrum Album, Cambr. Univ., Ee. iii. 60, f. 154, b: 'Et nota quod si prepositus hundredi capiat gersumam de aliquo libero, dominus habebit medietatem.' Suffolk Court Rolls, 3 (Bodleian): 'gersuma si evenerit filii vel filie, finem faciet in hundredo, sed celerarius habebit medietatem finis.'

433

Rot. Hundr. ii 484, b; 485, a.

434

Ibid. ii 749, b.

435

Ibid. i. 6.

436

Coram Rege, Trin., 3 Edw. I, m. 14, d.

437

Rot. Hundr. i. 19.

438

Cf. a very definite case of oppression, Placit. Abbrev., 150.

439

Statutes of the Realm, i. 224.

440

Notebook of Bracton, pl. 1334 and 1644.

441

Rochester Cart. (Thorpe), 19 a: 'Dominus non debet aliquem operarium injuste et sine judicio a terra sua ejicere.' Ibid. 10, a: 'in crastino Sancti Martini non ponet eos (dominus) ad opera sine consensu eorundem.' Black Book of St. Augustine, Cotton MSS., Faustina, A. i. f. 185, d: '(Consuetudines villanorum de Plumsted) Villani de P. tenent quatuor juga et debent inde arare quatuor acras et seminare … et debent metere in autumpno 8 acras de ivernagio vel 4 acras de alio blado.... Et debent falcare 2 acras prati.... Item debent duo averagia per annum a Plumsted ad Newenton et nihil debent averare ad tunc nisi res que sunt ad opus conventus et que poni debent super ripam.'

442

Notebook of Bracton, pl. 1334: '… et consuetudo est quod uxores maritorum defunctorum habeant francum bancum suum de terris sokemannorum.' Rot. Hundr. i. 201, 202: 'habent et vendunt maritagia sokemannorum aliter quam deberent, quia in Kancia non est warda.'

443

Cf. Elton, Tenures of Kent.

444

Notebook of Bracton, pl. 1419: 'et ipsi veniunt et dicunt quid nunquam cartam illam fecit nec facere potuit quia uillanus fuit et terram suam defendidit per furcam et flagellum.'

445

Seebohm, Village Community, 103; followed by Scrutton, Commons and Common Fields, 38; and Ashley, Economic History, i. 18.

446

Maitland, Introduction to Manorial Rolls, lxix.

447

Chandler, Court Rolls of Great Cressingham, p. 14: '20 solidi de toto Homagio quia recusaverunt preparare fenum domini. Debitum ponatur in respectum usque proximam curiam et interea scrutatur le Domesday.' A manorial extent is evidently meant. Comp. Domesday of St. Paul's.

448

Ely Inq., Cotton MSS., Claudius, C. xi. 60, a: 'Anelipemen, Anelipewyman et coterellus manens super terram episcopi vel terram alicuius custumariorum suorum metet unam sellionem in autumpno ex consuetudine que vocatur luuebene.' Cp. 42, a, 'quilibet anlepiman et anlepiwyman et quilibet undersetle metet dimidiam acram bladi,' etc., and Ramsey, Cart. i. 50.—I have not been able to find a satisfactory etymological explanation of 'anelipeman'; but he seems a small tenant, and sometimes settled on the land of a villain.

449

Of course in later times the test applied in drawing the line between freehold and baser tenure was much rather the mode of conveyance than anything else. The commutation into money rent of labour services due from a tenement 'held by copy of court roll' (a commutation which in some cases was not effected before the fifteenth century), did not convert the tenement into freehold; had it done so, there would have been no copyhold tenure at the present day. But I am here speaking of the thirteenth century when this 'conveyancing test' could not be readily applied, when the self-same ceremony might be regarded either as the feoffment by subinfeudation of a freehold tenant or the admittance of a customary tenant, there being neither charter on the one hand nor entry on a court roll on the other hand. Thus the nature of the services due from the tenement had to be considered, and, at least in general, a tenement which merely paid a money rent was deemed freehold.

450

It should be observed that the word demesne (dominicum) is constantly used in two different senses, (a) the narrower sense in which it stands for the land directly occupied and cultivated by the lord or for his use, and excludes the land held by his villain tenants, and (b) the wider sense in which it includes these villain tenements. The first meaning is that which the word usually bears in manorial documents, in which the dominicum is contrasted with the villenagium or bondagium. But in legal pleadings and documents which state the doctrine of the common law and the king's courts the villain tenements are part of the lord's demesne, he is seised of them in his demesne (in dominico suo). This discrepancy between what I may call the manorial and the legal uses of the term deserves notice as an indication of the imperfect adjustment of law to fact. I shall use the term in its narrower sense.

451

Eynsham Cartulary, MSS. of Christ Church, Oxford, N. 27, f. 1, a: 'Est una cultura nuncupata Shyppelond, et continet in toto septem acras dimidiam acram et dimidiam rodam, et valet acra 4 d., et bis successive seminatur.' Inqu. p. mortem 20 Henry III, N. 14 (Record Office): 'Extensio manerii de Remdun (Lincoln). Sunt ibidem 360 acre terre et faciunt duas carucatas. Et seminata sunt per annum 240 acre … De waracto per annum 12 d.'

452

Glastonbury Survey of 1189 (Roxburghe Ser.), 99: 'Idem tenet de dominico tres acras a tempore Henrici episcopi quas colit in uno anno et altero non.'

453

Eynsham Cart., 1, a: 'Est ibidem prope alia cultura nuncupata Clay-furlong et continet cum capitali inferiore octo acras unam rodam tres perticas cum dimidia, et potest ter seminari successive, videlicet post warectum ordium, anno sequente cum grosso pulstro et anno tercio cum frumento, et valet acra 8 d.... (Alia cultura) et potest ter seminari ut supra mutato grosso pulstro in pisas.'

454

Two husbandry treatises were chiefly in use in mediaeval England. The fourteenth-century MS., Merton College 91, contains both, and both mention the two systems. (Modus qualiter balliui et prepositi debent onerari super compotum reddendum et qualiter manerium custodiri), f. 152: 'E la vu les chaumps sunt semez e parti en deus, le iuernage e le trameys sunt tous semez en un champ.'—(Maior husbonderia, otherwise Walter of Henley's treatise), f. 155: 'Si les terres seent partiz en iii, la une partie en le yuernage, lautre partie en le quaremel, e la tierce partie a warect, donqes est la charrue de terre de xxx acres' (sic, corr. ixxx). 'E si vos terres seent partez en ii, com sont en plusurs pays, la une partie a yuernage e a quaremel, e lautre partie a waret, donqes serra la charue de terre de viiixx acres.' Cf. Thorold Rogers, Six Centuries, 75.

455

Fleta, ii. 72.

456

Malmesbury Cart. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 186: 'De terris inbladandis et inhoc faciendis in campis de Brokeneberewe et de Burestone, a ponte de Jule-brocke usque ad Halbrigge de Bremelham, ubi dictus Ricardus dicebat se habere communam, ita quod nec abbas et conventus, nec eorum tenentes possint inhoc facere sine consensu dicti Ricardi, nec pro voluntate sua terras suas ibidem inbladare … Abbas et conventus concesserunt praedicto Ricardo … ut cum terrae prenominatae inbladatae fuerint et blada a terris amota, liberam et plenam communam in praefatis terris una cum abbate et suis hominibus (habeat) sicut ipse vel praedecessores sui unquam melius et plenius habere consueverunt.... Ita quod si de campo predicto in quo factum est inhoc pars quaedam remaneat inculta sine blado, in eadem parte habebunt predictus Ricardus et heredes sui communam cum abbate et conventu et suis. Similiter si villani praedicti Ricardi nolint inhokare terras suas infra praedictum inhoc sitas, habebunt liberum ingressum et egressum ad warectandum eas.'

457

Coram Rege, Hill. 3 Edw. I, m. 17, d: 'Item quicumque facit inheche scilicet excolit warectum frumento, ordeo vel auena, dabit pro qualibet acra unum denarium, excepta una acra quam habere debet quietam.' See App. xii.

458

Gloucester Cart. iii. 35, 36: 'Omnes dictae particulae jacent pro uno campo, summa 174 acre arabiles, etc.... Et de predicto campo possunt inhokari quolibet secundo anno 40 acre et valet inde commodum eo anno 10 solidos.... De dictis 63 acris possunt quolibet secundo anno inhokari 20 acre, et valet inde commodum eo anno 11 sol. 8 d.... Et est summa totalis omnium acrarum arabilium 412. Et est summa dictarum acrarum in valore denariorum 9 librae 12 solidi. De quibus subtracta tertia parte pro campo jacente ad warectum, 64 sol. scilicet, remanent ad extentam annuam de puro 6 librae 8 sol. et de commodo terrae quae singulis annis potest inhokari 15 sol. 10 d.'—Cf. Minor husbanderia, Merton Coll. MS. 91, f. 152: 'E si li ad Inhom, i deit veer quele cuture i prent del Inhom, e de quel ble est seme checune cuture, e tel semail deit il cuiler tut per ly e respondre tut per ly, hors des autres blees.'

459

Cart. of Boxgrave, Cotton MSS., Claudius, A. vi. p. 2: 'Debet compostare unam helvam ad frumentum et aliam ad ordeum.' Essex Court Rolls (Bodleian), 4: 'Milencia Tegulatrix posuit fimos in communa ad nocumentum custumariorum.' Glastonbury Inquest of 1189 (Roxburghe Ser.), 141: 'A. de N. occupavit quendam mariscum per concessum Roberti abbatis et illum marliavit et coluit.' Cf. Domesday of St. Paul's (Camden Ser.), 8: 'Dicunt eciam quod emendatum est manerium in 50 acris marlatis per Willelmum Thesaurarium ad summam 10 solidorum.' Ib. 21.

460

Malmesbury Cart. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 27: 'Concessimus … Roberto filio Roberti … illam virgatam terre quam A. de C. tenuit in campis, scilicet in uno campo 21 acras et in alio campo 21 acras.'

461

Gloucester Cart., iii. 194: 'Robertus Abovetun tenet unam virgatam terre continentem 44 acras in utroque campo.'

462

Ramsey Register, Cotton MSS., Galba, E. x. 27, d: 'Radulfus tenet 11 seliones in uno campo et 5 in alio de vilenagio.' Worcester Cart. (Camden Ser.), 62, a: 'Henricus clericus tenet unam virgatam, 16 acras in uno campo et 14 in alio. Item tenet aliam virgatam similiter. T.T. tenet unam virgatam, 15 acras excepto dimidio furtendello in uno campo et 11 in alio. O. le E. tenet unam virgatam 13 a. et ½ in uno campo et 12 et dimidiam in alio. T. le F. tenet unam virgatam, 16 acras in uno campo et 12 in alio.'

463

As in Gloucester Cart., i. 246: 'Ecclesiam Omnium Sanctorum … cum omnibus pertinenciis suis, videlicet unam virgatam terrae, undecim acras terrae in campo lucrabili.' Cf. 247.

464

Dunstable Cart., Harleian MSS. 1885, f. 7, d: 'Postquam buttum habuimus bis seminatio fuerit et non amplius, quia omnes ceteri non excolunt ibi terram, sed at pascua reservant.'

465

Eynsham Cart., Christ Church, Oxford, MSS., N. 27, f. 74, b: 'Placitum de Haneberge in recordo de banco de termino Sti Trinitatis anni xliij (Edw. III) … Est quidam hamelettus vocatus Tilgerdesle infra bundos ville de Eynesham, infra quem hamelettum tam in vastis quam in terris, pratis et pasturis eiusdem hameletti iidem Johannes Smyth et omnes alii habent communam cum omnibus averiis suis tanquam pertinens ad tenementa sua que ipsi separati tenent in Hanberge, scilicet in vasto et pastura quolibet anno per totum annum et in terris arabilibus post blada messa et asportata quousque … resemenentur et quolibet tercio anno tempore warecti per totum annum eo quod omnes terrae arabiles infra dictum hamelettum per duos annos continuos debent seminari et tercio anno warectari, et in pratis post fenum levatum et asportatum usque ad festum purificacionis beate Marie.... Et dicunt quod diversis vicibus quibus predictus Abbas nunc queritur etc. diuerse parcelle terrarum arabilium in hameletto predicto que tunc temporis warectare debuissent per predictum abbatem et alios seminate fuerunt per quod ipsi tam in parcellis illis sic seminatis que tunc temporis warectare debuerunt quam in aliis vastis, pratis et pascuis hameletti predicti in communa sua cum aueriis suis prout eis bene licuerit usi fuerunt … Et predictus abbas non cognoscit quod terre arabiles infra hamelettum predictum quolibet tercio anno debent warectari, immo protestando quod eedem terre per tres annos continuos debent seminari et quarto anno warectari.' The case is a rather complicated one, because the persons claiming common are not tenants of the Abbot but of the King. Still, their pretensions are grounded on the customary order of farming in a hamlet belonging to the manor of Eynsham, and this is the point which concerns us. Cf. Coram Rege, Pascha, 25 Henry III: 'Abbas … partitus fuit terras suas in tres partes quae antea partitae fuerunt in duas partes.' See also Placit. Abbrev. 153. The case is quoted by Scrutton, Common Fields, 57.