Villainage in England: Essays in English Mediaeval HistoryVinogradoff, Paul
History
Villainage in England: Essays in English Mediaeval History
Vinogradoff, Paul
Villeinage -- England -- History -- To 1500
In the ancient survey of Glastonbury Abbey, compiled in 1189, the
questions to be answered by the jury are enumerated in the following
way: 'Who holds freely, and how much, and by what services, and by whose
warrant, and from what time? Has land which ought to perform work been
turned into free land in the time of Bishop Henry, or afterwards? By
whose warrant was this change made, and to what extent is the land free?
Is the demesne land in cultivation, or is it given away in free tenure
or villain tenure; is such management profitable, or would it be better
if this land was taken back by the lord[341]?' The contrast is between
land which provides labour and land which does not; the former is
unfree, and villain tenure is the tenure of land held by such services;
portions of the demesne given away freely may eventually be reclaimed.
The scheme of the survey made in answer to these questions is entirely
in keeping with this mode of classification. All holdings are considered
exclusively from the economic point of view; the test of security and
precarious occupation is never applied. It is constantly noticed, on the
other hand, whether a plot pays rent or provides labour, whether it can
be transferred from one category into the other, on what conditions
demesne land has been given to peasants, and whether it is expedient to
alter them. Let us take the following case as an instance: John Clerk
had in the time of Bishop Henry one virgate in Domerham and holds it
now, and another virgate in Stapelham for ten shillings. When he farmed
the Domerham manor he left on his own authority the virgate in Stapelham
and took half a virgate in Domerham, as it was nearer. This half
virgate ought to work and is now free. And the virgate in Stapelham,
though it was free formerly, has to work now, after the exchange[342].
The opposition is quite clear, and entirely suited to the list of
questions addressed to the jury. The meaning of the terms _free_ and
_freedom_ is also brought out by the following example. Anderd Budde
holds half a virgate of demesne land, from the time of Bishop Henry, by
the same services as all who hold so much. The village has to render as
gift twenty-nine shillings and six pence. Six pence are wanting (to
complete the thirty shillings?) because Anderd holds more freely than
his ancestors used to[343].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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