Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
An example of a grant of hides of land is: "[God has endowed King Edred
with England], wherefore he enriches and honors men, both ecclesiastic
and lay, who can justly deserve it. The truth of this can be
acknowledged by the thegn AElfsige Hunlafing through his acquisition of
the estate of 5 hides at Alwalton for himself and his heirs, free from
every burden except the repair of fortifications, the building of
bridges and military service; a prudent landowner church dues, burial
fees and tithes. [This land] is to be held for all time and granted
along with the things both great and small belonging to it."
A Bishop gave land to a faithful attendant for his life and two other
lives as follows: "In 904 A.D., I, Bishop Werfrith, with the permission
and leave of my honorable community in Worcester, grant to Wulfsige, my
reeve, for his loyal efficiency and humble obedience, one hide of land
at Aston as Herred held it, that is, surrounded by a dyke, for three
lives and then after three lives the estate shall be given back without
any controversy to Worcester."
At seaports on the coast, goods were loaded onto vessels owned by
English merchants to be transported to other English seaports. London
was a market town on the north side of the Thames River and the primary
port and trading center for foreign merchants. Streets that probably
date from this time include Milk, Bread, and Wood Streets, and Honey
Lane. There were open air markets such as Billingsgate. There were
wooden quays over much of the river front. Houses were made of wood,
with one sunken floor, or a ground floor with a cellar beneath. Some had
central stone hearths and earth latrines. There were crude pottery
cooking pots, beakers and lamps, wool cloth, a little silk, simple
leather shoes, pewter jewelry, looms, and quernstones (for grinding
flour). Wool, skins, hides, wheat, meal, beer, lead, cheese, salt, and
honey were exported. Wine (mostly for the church), fish, timber, pitch,
pepper, garlic, spices, copper, gems, gold, silk, dyes, oil, brass,
sulphur, glass, slaves, and elephant and walrus ivory were imported.
Goods from the continent were sold at open stalls in certain streets.
Furs and slaves were traded. There was a royal levy on exports by
foreigners merchants. Southwark, across the Thames River from London,was
reachable by a bridge. Southwark contained sleazy docks, prisons, gaming
houses, and brothels.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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