Great Britain -- Economic conditions; Great Britain -- Social conditions
In Norwich there were in the time of King Edward 1320 burgesses. Of whom
one was so much the King's own (_dominicus_) that he could not withdraw
nor do homage without his licence; whose name was Edstan. He had 18
acres of land and 12 of meadow and 2 churches in the borough and a sixth
part of a third; and to one church pertained a messuage in the borough
and 6 acres of meadow. This borough Roger Bigot holds of the King's
gift. And of 1238 burgesses the King and the Earl had soc and sac[37]
and custom; and over 50 Stigand had soc and sac and commendation[38];
and over 32 Harold had soc and sac and commendation; of whom one was so
much his own (_dominicus_) that he could not withdraw nor do homage
without his licence. In all they all had 80 acres of land and 20 acres
and a half of meadow; and of these one was a woman, Stigand's sister,
with 32 acres of land; and between them all they had half a mill and the
fourth part of a mill, and still have; and in addition they had 12 acres
and a half of meadow which Wihenoc took from them; now Rainald son of
Ivo has the same; and in addition 2 acres of meadow which belonged to
the church of All Saints; these also Wihenoc took, and now Rainald has
them. There is also in the borough a church of St. Martin which Stigand
held in the time of King Edward, and 12 acres of land; William de
Noiers has it now as part of the fee of Stigand. Stigand also held a
church of St. Michael, to which belong 112 acres of land and 6 of meadow
and 1 plough. This Bishop William holds, but not of the bishopric. And
the burgesses held 15 churches to which belonged in almoin 181 acres of
land and meadow. And in the time of King Edward 12 burgesses held the
church of Holy Trinity; now the bishop holds it of the gift of King
William. The King and the Earl had 180 acres of land. The Abbot has a
moiety of the church of St. Lawrence and one house of St. Edmund. This
was all in the time of King Edward. Now there are in the borough 665
English burgesses and they render the customs; and 480 bordiers who
owing to poverty render no custom. And on that land which Stigand held
in the time of King Edward there dwell now 39 burgesses of those above;
and on the same land there are 9 messuages empty. And on that land of
which Harold had the soke there are 15 burgesses and 17 empty messuages
which are in the occupation of the castle. And in the borough are 190
empty messuages in that part which was in the soke of the King and Earl,
and 81 in the occupation of the castle. In the borough are further 50
houses from which the King has not his custom.... And in the borough the
burgesses hold 43 chapels. And the whole of this town rendered in the
time of King Edward 20l. to the King and to the Earl 10l. and besides
this 21s. 4d. for allowances and 6 quarts of honey and 1 bear and 6 dogs
for bear-[baiting]. And now 70l. king's weight and 100s. by tale as
gersum to the Queen and 1 goshawk and 20l. blanch to the Earl and 20s.
by tale as gersum to Godric....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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