The English Village Community / Examined in its Relations to the Manorial and Tribal Systems and to the Common or Open Field System of Husbandry; An Essay in Economic History (Reprinted from the Fourth Edition)

by Frederic Seebohm

EXAMPLES OF VILLEIN SERVICES.

Oxfordshire
Of a Villanus holding aVirgate.[35]
A. B. holds a virgate, and owes—	s.	d.
82 days' work [about 2 days a week] between Michaelmas and June 24, valued at 12d. =	3	5
1112 days' work [rather more than2 days a week] between June 24 and August 1, valued at 1d. =		1112
19 days' work [212 days aweek] between August 1 and Michaelmas, valued at112d. =	2	412
6 precariæ, with oneman, valued at		12
1 precaria, with 2men, for reaping,with food from thelord, valued at		2
Half a carriage forcarrying the wheat		1
Half a carriage forthe hay		1
The ploughing andharrowing of anacre		6
1 ploughing called 'graserthe'		112
1 day's harrowing ofoat[land]		1
1 horse [load] of wood		12
Making 1 quarter of malt, and drying it		1
1 day's work at washing and shearing sheep, valued at		12
1 day's hoeing		12
3 days' mowing		6
1 day's nutting		12
1 day's work in carrying to the stack		12
Tallage once a yearat the lord's will.
Of a Cotarius.[36]
A. B. holds one croft, and owes fromMichaelmas to August 1, each workableweek, one day's work of whatever kindthe lord requires.
At Martinmas gives 1 cock and 3 hensfor churchshot, and ought to drive tocertain places, and to carry writs,[37]his food being found by the lord; alsoto wash and shear sheep, receiving aloaf and a half, and being partakerof the cheese with the servi; andto hoe. In the autumn, to work andreceive like as each servus works andreceives for the whole week.[38]
(10 cottiers do like services).

Huntingdonshire

Of a Villanus holding a Virgate.[39]

• A. B. holds 1 virgate in villenage—
• By paying 12d. at Michaelmas.
• By doing works from Michaelmas to Easter, with the exception of the fortnight after Christmas, viz. 2 days each week, with one man each day.
• Item, he shall plough with his own plough one selion and a half on every Friday in the aforesaid time.
• Item, he shall harrow the same day as much as he has ploughed.
• He shall do works from Easter to Pentecost, 2 days each week, with one man each day.
• And he shall plough one selion each Friday in the same time.
• He shall do works from Pentecost till August 1, for 3 days each week, with one man each day, either hoeing the corn, or mowing and lifting (levand).
• He shall do works from August 1 till September 8, for 3 days each week, with two men each day.
• He shall make 1 'love-bonum' with all his family except his wife, finding his own food. And from September 8 to Michaelmas he works 3 days each week, with one man each day. He shall carry [with a horse or horses] as far as Bolnhurst, and from Bolnhurst to Torneye.
• Also he gives 12 bushel of corn as 'bensed' in winter-time.
• Also 10 bushels of oats at Martinmas as 'fodderkorn.'
• Also 7d. as 'loksilver,' that is for 2d. a loaf, and 5 hens.
• Also 1d. on Ash-Wednesday, as 'fispeni' (fishpenny).
• Also 20 eggs at Easter.
• Also 10 eggs on St. Botolph's Day (June 17).
• Also in Easter week 2d. towards digging the vineyard.
• Also in Pentecost week 1d. towards upholding the mill-dam (stagnum) of Newetone.
• If he sell a bull calf he shall give the lord abbot 4d., and this according to custom.
• He gives 'merchetum' and 'herietum,' and is tallaged at Michaelmas according to the will of the said abbot.
• He gives 2d. as 'sumewode silver' at Christmas.

Of a Cotarius.[40]

• A. B. holds 1 acre at 12d., and works 4 days in autumn with one man.
• He is tallaged 'quando Rex talliat burgos suos.'
• He gives 'garshaves' each year for pigs killed and sold, viz. for a pig a year old, 12d.
• And when there is pannage in the wood he gives for pig of a year old, 1d.
• And if he keeps his pigs alive beyond a year, he gives nothing.

Cambridgeshire

Of a Villanus holding 12 Virgate of 15 acres.[41]

• A. B. holds a 12 virgate of customable land containing 15 acres, and does 3 days' work each week throughout the year, and 3 precariæ, with meals found by the lord, and gives at Martinmas 1d., and a hen at Christmas, and 8 eggs at Easter; and the same works and customs if 'ad firmam' are valued at 9s. per annum.
• (20 others each hold 15 acres with like services.)

Of a Cotarius.[42]

• A. B. is a cotarius, and holds 1 cottage and 1 acre, for which he gives—
  • 1 day's work on Monday in every week unless a festival prevents him.
  • 1 hen at Christmas
  • 5 eggs at Easter.