Thomas Alwyne tantum tenet de predicto Alano et solvit 8 s. et debet arare 3 acras avene et metere duas acras,' etc. Cf. 446, 473.
59. Rot. Hundr. ii. 656.
60. In Sawtrey le Moyne and Sawtrey Beaumeys (659, 660) the free tenants are partly virgaters and half virgaters, partly holders of small plots. I need not say that all my quotations are of cases which might be multiplied to any extent.
61. The undated Survey of the Ramsey Cartulary (ii. 487) has a different reckoning: 'Item omnes positi ad censum qui tenent virgatam, vel dimidiam virgatam, dabunt per annum pro virgata octo solidos, vel pro dimidia virgata quatuor solidos.' There are several other small discrepancies with the Hundred Roll description. The document endorsed in the Cartulary seems the earlier one, and the differences have to be explained in all probability by some attempt on the part of the Monastery to set up a higher rent at the time of its compilation. One does not see the slightest ground for any reduction of the rent in process of time. Generally speaking, the conditions described in the Hundred Roll are more irregular than those mentioned in the Cartulary.
62. The Ramsey Cartulary has simply: 'Et virgatarius arabit et herciabit qualibet septimana per unum diem sicut operarius.'
63. Rot. Hundr. ii. 348.
64. Ib. 443, 444. Isabel, the daughter of William le Frend, is taken as a typical half-virgater.
65. Rot. Hundr. ii. 326.
66. Ib. ii. 327.
67. lb. ii. 436.
68. Ib. ii. 438.
69. Ib. ii. 473.
70. Rot. Hundr. 470: '(villani) quilibet istorum tenet dimidiam virgatam terre de predicta Elena de quibus xxx et 1 operantur in uno anno et alii xxxij operantur in alio anno et in eodem anno quo operantur dant domine per annum 8d. et alii qui non operantur dant per annu quilibet dimidius virgatarius 2s. 10d. et auxilium Vicecomitis 1d. obolum et quilibet dat obolum, quadrantem ad festum St. Michaelis.'
71. Maitland, Select Pleas in Manorial Courts, vol. i. 95: Areeve complains that Richer Jocelin's Son and Richard Reeve and his wife have insulted him, by saying among other things'... quod cepisse debuit munera de divitibus ne essent censuarii et pauperes ad censum posuisse debuit.'
72. It might perhaps be objected that the difference in favour of the free people ought to be explained by a depreciation of money which in process of time lowered the value of quit rents. But the explanation would hardly suit the age in which the Hundred Rolls were compiled. The phenomenon mentioned in the text may be observed in all the Cartularies, and there is no reason to think that the free rents which occur in them are already antquated survivals of agreements which had lost their economic sense.
73. Rot. Hundr. ii. 542.
74. Ib. 348.
75. Ib. 508.
76. Exch. Q. R. Misc. Books, N 29, f 11 a.
77. Exch. Q. R. Misc. Books, N 29, f. 12: 'Idem Thomas habet ibidem 12 villanos tenentes 4 virgatas terre et dimidiam in villenagio, unde Johannes Aylind tenet dimidiam virgatam terre pro 5s. 8d. faciens fenum domini per Unum diem cum uno homine, metens blada eiusdem domini per 1 diem eum Uno homine, etc. Idem Thomas habet ibidem 11 liberos tenentes 11 virgatas terre et dimidiam. Unde Willelmus en la Nurne tenet dimidiam virgatam et 4acras terre pro 4 solidis faciens sectam ad curiam de Bathekynton bis per annum pro omni demanda.'
78. Bodekesham, Cambs. (R. H. ii. 487), is probably a case of molland. The often-quoted instance of Ayllington is doubtful, although the Ramsey Cartulary speaks of the liber tenentes as malmanni. The expression was probably in use for all rent-paying people, although properly a designation of those who had commuted their services. See Appendix XV.
79. R. H. ii. 349, 350: 'In Weston, Bucks, the service of the villain virgater is estimated at 5s. 2d.... Elyas Clericus tenet dim. virgatam et reddit Johanni de Patishull 1d. Willelmus fil.
Willelmi de Ravenestone tenet dim. virgatam de eodem feodo et reddit per annum 1 d. Thomas Acpelard tenet dimidiam virgatam terre et reddit dicto Willelmo de Nodaris 3 d. Stephanus Elys tenet dimidiam virgatam et solvit eodem Willelmo 2d. Thomas Thebaud tenet dimidiam virgatam et reddit eidem Willelmo 1d....
Item Robertus le Cobeler tenet dimidiam virgatam terre et solvit eodem 1 libram cimini. Omnes isti prescripti dant per annum forinsecum et scutagium domino Willelmo de Nodaris quando currit.' Cf Torrington, Bucks, R. H. ii. 352.
80. R. H. ii. 713 (Stanton, Oxon.): 'ad alternacionem cujuslibet domini de Stanton debet recognoscere eundem dominum de uno spervario et dabit dimidiam marcam eidem domino.'
81. See e. g. Ramsey Cartul. i. 138, 142.
82. R. H. ii. 402, 403.
83. R. H. ii. 466. Cf 609.
84. R. H. ii. 502.
85. R. H. ii. 484, 485.
86. R. H. 469, 470, 475.
The Manorial Court The communal organisation of the village is made to subserve the needs of manorial administration. We feel naturally inclined to think and to speak of the village community in opposition to the lord and to notice all points which show its self-dependent character. But in practice the institution would hardly have lived such a long life and played such a prominent part if it had acted only or even chiefly as a bulwark against the feudal owner.
Its development has to be accounted for to a great extent by the fact that lord and village had many interests in common. They were natural allies in regard to the higher manorial officers.
