Landlord and Tenant in the Middle Ages.
In addition to making copies of their deeds the Monastic owners of lands frequently drew up what are known as ‘Extents’—i.e. detailed descriptions of the services due from their tenants, the stock on their farms, and a multitude of other matters into which we need not go. It can have been no joke to be a landed proprietor in those days; and possibly it was a still more serious matter to be a tenant. From such an account of their manors here in Loughton which the monks had drawn up somewhere before 1300, we had that Alderton (Aluertuna, Alwarton, Alwardtun, ‘Ailward’s town’) was still the largest, the most populous, and possibly the most lucrative, of the four manors said by Domesday to belong to them. Typeden (Debden) comes next, and Luketon (Loughton) makes a bad third. The explanation of this is probably that the manors of Loughton were kept in hand and farmed, while the others had been granted out to what may be roughly styled ‘copyholders.’ Of such copyholders there were in Alderton 28, holding 371 acres, paying between them something over 40s. a year in money, 47 fowls, and 424½ eggs. In Loughton were eight tenants holding 75 acres, and paying about 14s., and 9 fowls. In Debden there were 24 tenants, who held 160 acres, and paid about 23s., 17 fowls, and 26 eggs. It is interesting to note that among the names are found Achelard, from whom Allard’s Grove is derived; Potman, whose name still cleaves to a field by Clays-lane, near Debden Green; and Ralph Traps. Memories must have been good in those days, when but few could read or write; for, of the tenants, no two paid exactly the same rent—and when I say ‘pay’ you must by no means conclude that money is meant. In rural economy at that date money played but a minor part, as we shall see if we look at the complicated services due to the landlord from, for instance, Arnold and William Ram, who held 15 acres in Alderton; and no one held more than 15, although many held less. Arnold, we are told, paid 31d. a year and a ‘warpany’ (ward-penny) of 2d.; the latter seems to have been in lieu of certain police services once rendered. Next he gave a hen and ten eggs. When the great boon-ploughing took place in winter, he came twice with his team and did a day’s work. In Lent he came to the boon-harrowing and brought a horse, whether he owned one or not, and he worked till the ninth hour, getting no rations; if, however, he worked on until evening he got some food, and his horse a handful of oats and some hay. If the lord of the manor wished it, he had to come, with one scythe, to mow the meadow, and had his rations. He provided and fed a man to lift hay until all was carried. On two days he weeded from morn till eve and had two meals. He drew a load of hay and had his breakfast given him. He sent a man to one boon-day, when beer was not provided; and two men to three others. If he reaped oats on the great boon-day he bound them on another and got no rations. He had to send a man for one day to gather nuts till eve, and the man had food given him; on another day, when he was to leave off at the ninth hour, he got no food. William Ram had to provide a day’s work twice in each week, and did much else, with the details of which I will not here trouble you; but a general statement of such rights and duties as could apparently be described as common to the inhabitants of all three manors or vills, is given and is worth recital.