The Oxherd may pasture 2 oxen or more with the lord’s herd in the common leas, with the knowledge of his overseer. Let him have for his work shoes and gloves for himself; and his cow for killing may go with the lord’s oxen.
To the Cowherd pertains that he have the milk of a grown cow for 7 nights after her calving, and the beestings of a young cow 14 nights, and let his cow for killing go with the lord’s cows.
The Shepherd’s due is that he have 12 nights’ manure at Midwinter, and 1 lamb of a year’s youth, and 1 bell-wether’s fleece, and the milk of his herd for 7 nights after autumnal equinox, and a bowlful of whey or buttermilk all the summer.
To the Goatherd pertains the milk of his herd after Martinmas Day, and before then his share of whey and 1 kid of a year’s youth, if he care for his herd well.
To the Cheesemaker pertain a hundred cheeses and that she make butter for the lord’s board of milk that has dropped from the cheese-press, and have for herself all the whey except the shepherd’s share.
To the Barn-man pertains the fallen corn at the barn-door in harvest, if his overseer grant it him and he have earned it faithfully.
To the Beadle it pertains that for his office he be freer of labour than other men, for he must be often available: and some piece of land pertains to him for his work.
To the Woodward pertains every tree felled by the wind.
To the Hayward it pertains that his work’s reward be acknowledged along the boundary which lies by the meadow-lea, for he may expect, if he does not guard this, that men will blame him for the damage: also if he is given a piece of land, it shall by folk-right lie next the meadow, because if he slothfully neglect his lord’s, his own is not well protected, if it be thus situate. But if he protect all well that he should guard, he is right well worth his pay. [This means that his land is to be the first to suffer by an incursion of the cattle due to his careless upkeep of the hedges.]
Estate-laws are manifold, as I said before, nor do we lay down as the rights over all places those which we before spoke of, but we proclaim what the custom is where it is known to us. If we learn better, we will gladly approve and hold by the folk-customs of the place where we then live: for a man must learn laws among the people gladly, if he does not want to lose honour among the people. Many are the rights of the folk. On some estates there pertain to the people winter-feast, Easter-feast, boon-feast for harvest, drinking-feast for ploughing, mowing-pay, rick-treat, at wood-carrying one tree from each cart, at corn-carrying rick-top-feast, and many things that I cannot enumerate. This is, however, the memorandum for a man’s food, as well as all that I before this set forth.