Then again in the north and east the manor is often the centre of an extensive but very discrete territory known as its soke. One says that certain lands are ‘soke’ or are ‘the soke,’ or are ‘in the soke’ of such a manor, or that ‘their soke belongs’ to such a manor. One contrasts the soke of the manor with the ‘inland’ and with the berewicks[481]. The soke in this context seems to be the territory in which the lord’s rights are, or have been, of a justiciary rather than of a proprietary kind[482]. The manor of the eastern counties is a discrete, a dissipated thing. Far from lying within a ring fence, it often consists of a small nucleus of demesne land and villein tenements in one village, together with many detached parcels in many other villages, which are held by ‘free men’ and sokemen. In such a case we may use the term manerium now in a wider, now in a narrower sense. In valuing the manor, we hardly know whether to include or exclude these free men. We say that the manor ‘with the free men’ is worth so much[483], or that the manor ‘without the free men’ is worth so much[484], that the manor is worth £10 and that the free men pay 40 shillings[485], that Thurmot had soke over the manor and over three of the free men while the Abbot of Ely had soke over the other three[486].
Minute manors.
From one extreme we may pass to the other extreme. If there were huge manors, there were also tiny manors. Let us begin in the south-west of England. Quite common is the manor which is said to have land for but one team; common also is the manor which is said to have land for but half a team. This means, as we believe, that the first of these manors has but some 120 acres of arable, while the second has but 60 acres or thereabouts. ‘Domesday measures’ are, it is well known, the matter of many disputes; therefore we will not wholly rely upon them, but will look at some of these ‘half-team’ manors and observe how much they are worth, how many tenants and how much stock they have upon them.
(i) A Somersetshire manor[487]. Half the land is in demesne; half is held by 7 bordiers. The only plough beasts are 4 oxen on the demesne; there are 3 beasts that do not plough, 20 sheep, 7 acres of underwood, 20 acres of pasture. It is worth 12s., formerly it was worth 10s.
(ii) A Somersetshire manor[488]. A quarter of the land is in demesne; the rest is held by 2 villeins and 3 bordiers. The men have one team; apparently the demesne has no plough-oxen. No other animals are mentioned. There are 140 acres of wood, 41 acres of moor, 40 acres of pasture. It is worth 12s. 6d. and has been worth 20s.
(iii) A Somersetshire manor[489]. All the land, save 10 acres, is in demesne; 2 bordiers hold the 10 acres. There is a team on the demesne; there are 2 beasts that do not plough, 7 pigs, 16 sheep, 4 acres of meadow, 7 of pasture. Value, 6s.
(iv) A Somersetshire manor[490]. The whole of the arable is in demesne; the only tenant is a bordier. There are 4 plough-oxen and 11 goats and 7 acres of underwood. Value, 6s.
(v) A Devonshire manor[491]. To all seeming all is in demesne and there are no tenants. There are 4 plough-beasts, 15 sheep, 5 goats, 4 acres of meadow. Value, 3s.
(vi) A Devonshire manor[492]. Value, 3s. All seems to be in demesne; we see no tenants and no stock.
We have been at no great pains to select examples, and yet smaller manors may be found, manors which provide arable land for but two oxen. Thus