43. Godith, formerly wife of Walter Palmer, appeals Richard of Stonall, for that he in the king's peace wickedly and by night with his force came to her house and bound her and her husband, and afterwards slew the said Walter her husband; and this she offers to prove against him as wife of the slain as the court shall consider. And he defends all of it. And the jurors and the whole neighborhood suspect him of that death. And so it is considered that he purge himself by ordeal of iron for he has elected to bear the iron.
44. The jurors of Oflow hundred say that the bailiffs of Tamworth have unjustly taken toll from the knights of Staffordshire, to wit, for their oxen and other beasts. And the men of Lichfield complain that likewise they have taken toll from them, more especially in Staffordshire. And the bailiffs deny that they take anything from the knights in Staffordshire. And for that they cannot [be heard to] contradict the jurors, the bailiffs are in mercy. As to the men of Lichfield, [the Tamworth bailiffs] say that they ought to have, and in King Henry's time had, toll of them, more especially of the merchants, as well in Staffordshire as in Warwickshire. And the burgesses of Lichfield offer the king a half-mark for an inquest by the county. And the county records that in King Henry's time the men of - - Lichfield did not pay toll in Staffordshire. Therefore the bailiffs are in mercy.
Chapter 7
The Times 1215-1272
Tenures in land were free or not free; the free tenures were (1) military service, (2) grand serjeanty, (3) free socage, and (4) frankalmoin. For military service, in general, every man knows his place, knows how many days he must fight and with what arms. But this institution is becoming unstable. Sometimes a substantial payment called scutage is taken instead. As feudalism became less military and less rough, daughters were permitted to inherit fiefs. It became customary to divide the property of a deceased man without a son equally among his daughters. Lords were receiving homage from all the daughters and thereby acquiring marriage rights over all of them. Also, if a son predeceased his father but left a child, that child would succeed to the father's land in the same way that the deceased would have. The ill, the aged, women, and ecclesiastics could send a substitute to military service. There are certain reliefs, and wardship and marriage fees associated with military tenure. Grand serjeanty was various and included carrying the banner of the king, or his lance, carrying his sword at his coronation, carrying his letters, summoning his barons, conveying his treasure from place to place, being his steward, marshal, chamberlain or constable. Many serjeanties were connected with warfare, such as light horsemen, infantry, bowmen, captains of the national militia, leading the infantry of certain hundreds, military transport, carriage of armour on a horse, munitions of war such as lances, arrows or knives. A man could hold by serjeanty of a mesne lord, such as presiding over the lord's court, riding with the lord or on his errands, feeding his hounds, or supplying bows and arrows. Tenure in free socage may involve a nominal service to a lord, such as the gift every year of a rose, a sparrowhawk, a pair of gloves, a pair of gilt spurs, or a pound of pepper, or of incense or of wax. Tenure in socage may originate by a gift of land to a daughter or younger son, or to some dependant for past services, or a purchase with a gross sum. There were no wardship or marriage or other fees associated with a tenure in free socage. Tenure in frankalmoin ["free alms" for the poor to relieve the king of this burden] was land held by ecclesiastics in right of their churches and of God. This service was spiritual, often for saying prayers for the deceased donor so that he could go from purgatory to heaven, and it was an indefinite service. In general, land could be alienated or subinfeudated without the lord's consent and thus come to be held in another tenure. Land escheated [returned] to the lord if there were no heirs, or in case of felony after the king has possessed and taken the profits of the land for year and day. In case of treason, a tenant's lands were all forfeited to the king. The tenure of socage obligated the tenant to fixed agricultural services, for which a nominal payment called a "quit rent" could be substituted. Socage did not entail rights of wardship or marriage. Socage grew at the expense of the other tenures. The unfree tenure was villein tenure. Villeins were tied to a piece of land and were bound to perform for their lord indefinite agricultural services and could be physically recovered in case they left the land. Villeins were subject to a lord's court and were not protected by the king's court.
The major types of freemen were: nobles, knights, ecclesiastics, Jews, and women. The nobles were the earls and barons. They did not have noble blood, but were tenants in chief of certain land by the king's will. The king consulted them and they obeyed his summons and gave him counsel. They were entitled to be judged in cases of treason or felony, by their peers, that is, each other. Lower in status are the knights. They were active in royal justice, making thedecisions in the most important cases. Ecclesiatics were bishops; abbots; and monks, nuns, and friars, who had taken vows of poverty and obedience; and clergy. The difference between a monk and a friar was a cloistered life versus an active life. Jews came to England after the Conquest and were under the special protection of the king. All they had belonged to the king. A Jew could lend money for interest, which was disallowed for Christians. Jews were subject to the courts of justice, but could also settle their disputes by their own Hebrew law, They were expelled in 1290. Women could hold land, even by military tenure, own chattels typically beasts and coins], make a will, make a contract, and could sue and be sued. They could give evidence in court, but could not be jurors or judges. Women who had husbands had to defer to them in certain property matters.
Nobles, doctors, and attorneys wore tunics to the ankle and an over-tunic almost as long, which was lined with fur and had long sleeves. A hood was attached to it. A man's hair was short and curled, with bangs on the forehead. The tunic of merchants and middle class men reached to the calf. The laborer wore a tunic that reached to the knee, cloth stockings, and shoes of heavy felt, cloth, or perhaps leather. Ladies wore a full-length tunic with moderate fullness in the skirt, and a low belt, and tight sleeves. A lady's hair was concealed by a round hat tied on the top of her head. Over her tunic, she wore a cloak. Monks and nuns wore long black robes with hoods.
Baron landholders' semi-fortified stone manor houses were improved and extended. Many had been licensed to be embattled or crenelated [wall indented at top with shooting spaces]. They were usually quadrangular around a central courtyard. The central and largest room was the hall, where people ate and slept. The hall had a hearth for fire in the center of the room if the hall was one story high. Sometimes the lord had a room with a sleeping loft above it. If the hall was more than one story high, it had a fireplace at one end so that the smoke could go up and out the roof. Other rooms each had a fireplace. There were small windows around the top story and on the inside of the courtyard. They were usually covered with oiled paper. Windows of large houses were of opaque glass supplied by a glassmaking craft. The glass was thick, uneven, distorted, and greenish in color. The walls were plastered. The floor was wood with some carpets. Roofs were timbered with horizontal beams. Many roofs had tiles supplied by the tile craft, which baked the tiles in kilns or over an open fire. Because of the hazard of fire, the kitchen was often a separate building, with a covered way connecting it to the hall. It had one or two open fires in fireplaces, and ovens. Sometimes there was a separate room for a dairy.
Furniture included heavy wood armchairs for the lord and lady, stools, benches, trestle tables, chests, and cupboards. Outside was an enclosed garden with cabbages, peas, beans, beetroots, onions, garlic, leeks, lettuce, watercress, hops, herbs, nut trees for oil, some flowers, and a fish pond and well. Bees were kept for their honey.
The barons now managed and developed their estates to be as productive as possible, often using the successful management techniques of church estates. They kept records of their fields, tenants, and services owed by each tenant, and duties of the manor officers, such as supervision of the ploughing and harrowing. Annually, the manor's profit or loss for the year was calculated. Most manors were self-supporting except that iron for tools and horseshoes and salt for curing usually had to be obtained elsewhere. Wine, tar, canvas and millstones were imports from other countries and bought at fairs, as was fish, furs, spices, and silks. Sheep were kept in such large numbers that they were susceptible to a new disease "scab". Every great household was bound to give alms.