Villainage in England: Essays in English Mediaeval History
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818
These points have been conclusively settled by the masterly investigations of Brunner, Zeugen- und Inquisitions-beweis (Abhandlungen der Wiener Akademie) and Entstehung der Schwurgerichte.
819
Seld. Soc. ii. 41: 'Quod talis sit consuetudo manerii et quod dicta Augnes sic venit in plena curia cum marito suo et totum jus et clamium quod haberet vel aliquo modo habere poterit in toto vel in parte hujus burgagii in manus domini ad opus ejusdem R. reddidit ponit super curiam … Et 12 juratores curie,' etc.
820
I do not mean to say that the analytical distinctions which we make between fact and law, between presenters to a tribunal and assessors of a tribunal, were clearly perceived or consequently carried out in the twelfth or thirteenth centuries. On the contrary there was a good deal of confusion in details, and the instinctive logic of facts had more to do in dividing and settling institutions than conscious reasoning. Juries and assizes of the Royal Courts might be called upon incidentally to decide legal questions, but, in the aggregate, there can be hardly a doubt that the sworn inquests before the Royal judges were working to provide the Courts with a knowledge of local facts and perhaps conditions, while the manorial court gave legal decisions.
821
Seld. Soc. ii. 41: 'Et 12 juratores curie … dicunt super sacramentum suum quod predicta Agnes venit in plena curia et totum jus et clamium quod aliquo modo habere potuit in dicto burgagio in manus domini reddidit.' 42: 'Et juratores … dicunt super sacramentum suum quod Juliana per quam dicta Matildis petit hujusmodi messuagium nunquam fuit seisita de ipso mesuagio, set Willelmus Ponfrayt maritus ipsius Juliane, unde secundum consuetudinem manerii Juliana post mortem W. mariti sui nichil poterit clamare nisi dotem in huiusmodi mesuagium nisi fuerit in plena curia una cum marito suo de huiusmodi perquisito conjunctim seisita.' Cf. p. 40: 'Unde Willelmus pro premissis in plena curia recordatis et inrotulatis dat domino 10 solidos.'
822
4 Inst. 270, cap. 58.
823
Y.B. 11/12 Edw. III (Rolls Ser.), p. 325, sqq.: '… les suters de Cokam firent venir plein record … les suiters agarderent seisine de terre … ila firent faux judgement … Stonore: Cest usage est molt encontre la ley, qe cesti qe doit tenir les plees ne poet pas recorder un attourne en ple qe serra plede devant lui mesme. Trew: Nous voloms averer qe les usages sont tiels, qe le seneschal de la court poet resceivir un attourne, issint qil dei entre les suiters coment il ad resceu un tiel attourne en tiel ple a la proschein court apres la resceite, et vous dions qe cesti Adam qe respondi par attourne fut resceu attourne en la manere.' Cf. Lysons, Magna Brit. i. 266. Y.B. 3 Edw. III. 29: 'Rob. le W. porta son brief de faux judgement devers un home et sa feme, et apres le record avowe par les suters de la court de Bloxham … les suters agarderent qe Robert et ses plegis fuerent in le mercie, et quod narratio sua fuit iniqua, et recordarent un nonsuit la ou la partie fust en court, per qe nous prioms qe cel record soit revers.' Viner, Abr. ii. A. 5, O. 6.
824
Y.B. 11/12 Edw. III (Rolls Ser.), p. 517: 'Trew. Le brief suppose qe le defendant tint le ple et qil fut baillif, ou seuters tenent le ple qe ont record; jugement de bref. Et non allocetur, quia ipse tenet curiam et ei dirigitur breve.'
825
Note Book of Bracton, pl. 1122: 'Preceptum fuit ballivis de Kingestona quod in plena curia sua de Kingestona recordari facerent loquelam … et recordum venire facerent per quatuor qui recordo illi interfuerunt, etc.... Ideo balliui inde sine die et Radulfus in misericordia.' 834: 'Preceptum fuit vicecomiti quod preciperet balliuis manerii Domini Regis de Haueringes quod recordari facerent in curia domini Regis de Haueringes loquelam que fuit in eadem curia per breve domini Regis … unde predicte Agnes et Dyonisia queste fuerunt falsum sibi factum fuisse iudicium in eadem curia et quod diligenter inquirerent qui fuerunt illi de maneriis Domini Regis de Writele, Neuport et Hatfeuld qui interfuerunt predicto iudicio faciendo simul cum hominibus Domini Regis de Haueringes et illos venire facerent aput Aueringe ad diem quem predicti homines et balliui Haueringe predicti loquelam recordari facerent, ita quod tam predicti ballivi et homines de Haueringe quam predicti homines de predictis maneriis recordum illud haberent coram justiciariis aput Westmonasterium per 4 legales homines de manerio de Aueringes et 6 de maneriis de Writele, de Neuport et de Hatfeuldia ex illis qui recordo illi interfuerunt.... Consideratum est quod illi de predictis maneriis falsum fecerunt iudicium et ideo omnes de manerio in misericordia preter Willelmum Dun … qui noluerunt consentire judicio.'
826
Stoneleigh Reg., f. 75: 'Item si aliquis deforciatur de tenemento suo et tulerit breve Regis clausum ballivis manerii versus deforciantes, dictum breve non debet frangi nisi in curia … Item quando ballivus aliquem summoneat ex precepto curie, tunc assumet secum duos sokemannos quos voluerit pro testanda summonicione predicta … Item qualitercumque placitum terminetur in curia sive in deficiendo in lege vadiata sive per non defensionem dampna sunt semper taxanda per curiam … Item debent sokemanni respondere per 12 coram justiciariis et coronatore domini Regis. Et ipsi dabunt iudicia curie de Stonle … Item nullus adiudicabitur tenens terre nisi qui a curia tenens acceptatur per fidelitatem et alias consuetudines licet tenens extra curiam aliquem feoffaverit per cartam vel sine carta.'
827
Selden Soc. ii. 122: 'Capiatur in manum domini quarta pars unius rode prati jacens in Smalemade quam Rogerus Greylong vendidit Nicholao le Neuman sine licencia curie.' Cf. 112: 'Praesentatum est quod Hugo Graeleng solvit sursum extra curiam ad opus Thome Aspelon de Broucton liberi unam portionem cuiusdam mesuagii … Ideo preceptum quod capiatur in manum domini.'
828
We hear constantly such phrases as the following: 'Quod iuncta est secum vocat rotulos ad warrantum; ponit se super rotulos.' But we have also: 'Et partes pecierunt quod inquiratur per villatam que dixit quod sufficientem duxit sectam. Postea testificatum fuit per totam villatam quod dictus Nicolaus tenebatur dicto Bartholomeo in predictis 5d.' (Seld. Soc. ii. 118). In one case the party relies on the evidence of the Register of Ramsey (p. 111), which was compiled, of course, on the basis of sworn inquests held in the different manors.
829
Seld. Soc. ii. 112.
830
Augment. Court Rolls, Portf. xxiii. No. 94, m. 3: 'Quod quidem per senescallum concessum est eisdem' (the entry is omitted in Mr. Maitland's publication).
831
Seld. Soc. ii. 111.
832
Augment. Court Rolls, Portf. xxiii. No. 94, m. 25 v. (the entry is not in the Selden volume): 'Margeria que fuit uxor Nicholai de Aula de Kingesripton venit et petit unum parvum mesuagium existens in manu domini quod quondam fuit de mesuagio suo proprio et quod ipsa Margeria singulis annis defendit versus dominum Abbatem, unde petit quod ius suum super hoc inquiratur per bonam inquisicionem. Que venit et dicit … Et ideo preceptum eidem quod inde habeat colloquium cum domino. Et postea colloquio habito cum domino concessum est ei quod pacifice habeat faciendo seruicia inde debita et consueta.'
833
Selden Soc. ii. 127.
834
Selden Soc. ii. 173.
835
Ibid. 94: 'Reginaldus fil. Benedicti injuste dedicit esse unus de 12 juratoribus allegando libertatem … Dicunt eciam quod Willelmus de Bernewell injuste allegat libertatem propter quam contradicit esse unus de juratis.' Cf. Cor. Rege incerti anni Johann. 5: 'Predecessores sui et ipse tenuerunt liberum tenementum et quod quidam ex juratis sunt consuetudinarii monialium.' Cor. Rege Pascha, 9 Edw. I, 34, b: '(Amerciamentum sochemanni) per pares vel per liberos de curia et vicinos ad curiam venientes.'
836
Hereford Rolls (Bodleian), 12: 'Compertum per libere tenentes quod custumarii falso presentant … ideo custumarii in misericordia.' Rot. Hundr. ii. 469: 'Quatuor homines et prepositus presentabant defaltas predictis liberis hominibus et ipsi liberi presentabant ballivis.'
837
Seld. Soc. ii. 44.
838
Introduction to Seld. Soc. ii. p. lxx.
839
Seld. Soc. ii. 67.
840
Ibid. 164.
841
See as to all this Mr. Maitland's Introduction to the Selden volume (ii), pp. lxix, lxx.
842
Introd. to Selden Soc. ii. p. lxi, and following. Comp. Coram Rege, 27 Henry III, 2: 'Dicunt quod non est aliquis liber homo in eodem manerio nisi Willelmus filius Radulfi qui respondet infra corpus comitatus.'
843
Y.B. 21-22 Edw. I, 526 (Rolls Series).
844
Comp. Mr. Maitland in his often-quoted Introduction, p. lxxi.
845
Introduction to Seld. Soc. ii. p. lxvi.
846
Archaeologia, vol. 47, p. 27, and following.
847
Rot. Hundr., Cartulary of Ramsey, i.
848
Gomme, Village Community, 162, etc.
849
Cart. of Malmesbury (Rolls Ser.), ii. 221.
850
A very good case in point is presented by Hitchin, because the boundaries and the jurisdiction of the manor comprise a great number of villages and hamlets which managed their open fields quite independently of the central township of Hitchin, and could not but do so, as they lay quite apart and a good way from it, as may be seen on the Ordnance Map. And still the manor comprises 'the township of Hitchin and the hamlet of Walsworth, the lesser manors of the Rectory of Hitchin, of Moremead, otherwise Charlton, and of the Priory of the Biggin, being comprehended within the boundaries of the said manor of Hitchin, which also extends into the hamlets of Langley and Preston in the said parish of Hitchin, and into the parishes of Ickleford, Ipolitts, Kimpton, Kingswalden, and Offley.' (Seebohm, Village Community, 443, 444.) As Mr. Seebohm tells me, the contrast between the central portion, that of the township, managed in one open field system, and the outlying parts, is probably reflected in the curious denominations of the manor as Portman and Foreign. It is well known how frequently our surveys mention hamlets; in many cases these annexes of townships are so widely scattered, that it would be impossible to suppose one open field system for them.
851
Seld. Soc. ii. 68, 90.
852
Ibid. 162, 166.
853
Introd. to Seld. Soc. ii. p. xxxix.
854
'Cest action est mixte en favour de franchise car rarement se sustreit nul del fief de son seiniur, s'il ne soy claime frank' (p. 165).
855
P. 168.
856
P. 212: 'Si le defendant puisse monstrer frank cep de ses Anncestres en la conception ou en la nativity ou puis, y' ert le defendant tenable pur frank a touts jours tout y soyent present pere et mere frere et cosins et tout son parenter que soy coynossent estre serfs al actor, et tesmoignent le defendant estre serf. Le autre notability est, que nient pluis ne fait long tenure de villeinage franchome serf que long tenure de frank fieu ne fait home serf frank, car franchise ne soy defait jammes par prescription de temps.' P. 166: 'Servage est un subjection issuant de cy grand antiquite, que nul frank ceppe ne purra estre trouve par human remembrance.' Cf. Britton, i. 196.
857
P. 167: 'ou si son seignior luy eject de son fief, et luy done sustenance (corr. ne luy done sustenance).' 294: 'Abusion est que home puisse challenger celuy pur son naife a que il ne trova unque sustenance, de sicome serf nest my serf forsque tant come il est en gard, et de sicome nul ne poet challenger son serf pur serf tout soit il en sa garde s'il retrouve (corr. ne trouve) sustenance a son serf que luy vault mees et terre en son fief, ou il purra gaigner sa sustenance, ou autrement luy retient en son service.' Cf. 169.
858
Cf. p. 155.
859
P. 166.
860
P. 294.
861
Ib. p. 294. 'Abusion est que serfs sont frank pledges ou pledges de frank home.' Cf. 110.
862
P. 169. 'Nota que villeins ne sont my serfs car serfs sont dits de garder sicom est dit.' 295: 'Abusion est a tenir villeins serfs, et ceste abusion merust grand destruction de poor people, grand poverty, et grand peche.'
863
P. 291: 'Abusion est que lon dit que villenage neste my frank tenement … car villein et serf ne sont my en (corr. un) voice, ne en (corr. un) signification, eins poet chascun frank home tenir villenage a luy et a ses heires fesant le servage et le charge del fiew.'
864
P. 170: 'Ascuns receverent fiefs assoubs de chescun obligation sicome per service faire ou en pure almoigne, ascuns a tenir par homage, et en service al defense del Realme, et ascuns par villeins customes d'arrer, over charrier, sarclir, franchir, seier, tasser, batre ou tilt autres manners de services, et ascun foits sans reprise de manger; et dont plusors fines sont troves levees en le tresore que font mencion de ceux services et viles customes faire, aussi bien come autres de pluis curtoise services, et dount tout soit que tiels gents ne eient point de chartres, ne monuments sils soient nequident engettes ou disturbes de lour possessions a tort, droit les succort per l'assize de novel disseisine attenir en le state come devant per cy que ils puissent averrer que ils scavoient lour certaintie de services et doveraignes per an come ceux que auncestres avant eux furent astrers de pluis longe temps per case que les disseisors nen furent seigniors.'
865
169: 'Villeins sont cultivers de fief demorants en villages uplande, car de Vile est dit Villeins, de Burgh Bourghois, et de Cite Cittizens, et de Villeins est mencion fait en le Chartre de Franchise, ou est dit, que villein ne soit mie cy grivement amercie que sa gaigneur ne soit a luy salve, car de serf ne fait il my mention pur ceo que ils ount rien propre que perdrent. Et de Villeins sont lour gaignures appelle Villenages.'
866
167. On the other hand it is mentioned, that serfs cannot be devised because they are astriers and annexed to the free tenement of the lord.
867
171: 'Et de ceo soy entremist Seint Edward en son temps d'enquirer de toutes les … que luy fesoit a tiel gaignors oustre lour droit et en fist grande vengeance. Et puis pargents que meins doulent pecheir que faire ne duissent sont plusiours ceux villeins par tortious distresses chasses a faire a lour seignours le service de Rechat de sank, et plusors autre customes voluntaries pur mener les en servage a lour poiar, dont lour remedie per le ne injuste vexes per les negligence des Royes' (the end of the sentence is evidently omitted or 'is falling into disuse' must have been meant).—p. 305: 'abusion est que le briefe de ne injuste vexes va issint en decline.'
868
It ought to be mentioned that the hundreds to which suit is due belonged to the Church of Ely.
869
Rot Hundr. ii. 82: 'Walterus de Pedecorthin est dominus (de Ingwethin), in qua est una virgata terre et facit sectam ad hundredum bis in anno, set non ad parva hundreda nec ad comitatum, nesciunt quo warranto.' ii. 201: 'Decena de Larncynge solebat facere sectam ad dictum hundredum de Bretford set de consensu W. de Breuse dicta decena divisa fuit in duas partes. Ita quod una pars secta ad curiam domini de Brawatere et alia medietas ad dictum hundredum de Bretford ad dampnum domini dicti hundredi 5 solidorum per annum:' ii. 195: '8 homines de homagio Johannis le Butiler in Stones et Boxham qui debent facere sectam ad predictum hundredum subtraxerunt sectam suam ad duo hundreda generalia per annum et unus predictorum hominum retraxit sectam suam per totum annum debitam.'
870
R.H. ii. 597. Cf. 469, 470.
871
Exch. Q.R. Misc. Books A. 29, f. 64, b: 'Nota—predictus Ricardus (de Loges) dicit se non habere Warentum aliquem nisi per antiquam tenuram sine carta.... Idem Ricardus habet visum franci plegii unde vocat ad warantum le Domesday (!) … Idem Ricardus tenet quicquid tenet in Soume de comite Cestrie, ut idem Ricardus dicit, per seruicium ducendi comitem Cestrie usque curiam Regis per medietatem foreste predicte de Kanoke, obviando ei ad pontem de Rocford ad mandatum comitis et idem comes dabit unam sagittam barbatam dicto Ricardo et capiat in foresta unam feram si voluerit eundo et aliam redeundo si voluerit, et in redeundo obviabit ei ad pontem de Repelwas ad mandatum comitis et dabit ei aliam sagittam.' Cf. Rot. Hundr. ii. 689: '[Libere tenentes] Johanna Galard tenet in eadem dimidiam virgatam terrae de dono Willelmi fratris sui et reddit eidem per annum 6 d. et idem Willelmus tenet de hereditate per defensum antecessorum suorum qui dictam dimidiam virgatam terrae habuerunt de dono Regis cujus nomen ignoramus.' Thomas Wyteman tenet in eadem I virgatam terrae de Philippo de Lenettale, et est de confirmacione Regis, ut dicta dimidia virgata terrae prescripta. I have already quoted this passage in the note on the hundredors. I give it as corrected according to the MS. in the Record Office. In the printed version of the Hundred Rolls it has lost its meaning.
872
R.H. ii. 477, 478. 'Libere tenentes. Robertus de Aula tenet in predicta villa duas virgatas terre de Abbate de Ramesaye de antiquo conquestu et supradictas septem virgatas similiter de antiquo et facit sectam curie bis per annum et si brevis domini Regis ibi sit faciet sectam de tribus septimanis.... Robertus Mariot tenet 5 virgatas terre de Roberto de Aula de feodo Episcopi Elyensis de antiquo feffamento.'
873
Rot. Hundr. ii. 656, 660. Cf. as to the meaning of antiqua tenura, etc. Rot. Hundr. i. 79, 354.
874
Exch. Q.R. Misc. Books, No. 29, f. 7: 'Idem Edmundus habet libere tenentes subscriptos. Ricardus de Hulle tenet unum mesuagium et 8 acras terre pro 14 solidis et secta ad curiam suam ibidem de tribus septimanis in tres septimanas (about ten similar holdings) et sciendum quod omnes predicti debent sectam predictam et tenent per fidelitatem et nullum faciunt homagium.'
875
Bracton, f. 33 b. Madox, Formulare Anglicanum.
876
Coram Rege, Pascha 6 Edw. I, f. 6, 6: 'Et requisitus si aliquid scit dicere quare predictum mesuagium quod est infra predictum manerium esse non debeat de condicione antiqui dominici Regis, utpote per feoffamentum domini Regis vel antecessorum suorum,' etc. Cf. Placit. Abbrev. 150 (quoted p. 113, n. 4).
877
Besides the extracts from the Stoneleigh Register quoted on p. 113, n. 1, and p. 198, n. 1, I may be allowed to call attention to f. 76: 'Item nullus adiudicabitur tenens terre nisi quia curia tenens acceptatur per fidelitatem et alias consuetudines licet tenens extra curiam aliquem feoffaverit per cartam vel sine carta.' Maitland, Manorial Rolls of King's Ripton (Selden Soc. ii). p. 122: 'Capiatur in manum domini quarta pars unius rode prati jacens in Smalemade quam Rogerus Greyling vendidit Nicholao le Neuman sine licencia curie.' Cf. as to the references to the Court-roll in case of doubt and contention. Augmentation Off. Court Rolls, Ripton Regis, xxiii, N. 94, f. 10: 'Et quod iuncta est secum vocat rotulos ad Warantum. Et predicta Mathildis dicit quod uxor eius non est iuncta et ponit se super rotulos.' Now the importance of the Roll is derived from the authority of the Court of which it records the proceedings.
878
Rot. Hundr. i. p. 104: 'Sokemanni domini Regis de Soka de Piclinton tenere solebant 3 carucatas terre et unam bovatam in Brunneby de antecessoribus Radulfi de Lacely et ipso Radulfo. De quibus hospitalarii habent unam bovatam de dono antecessorum dicti Radulfi.... Item prior de Elreton 4 bovatas … que sunt de tenura sokemannorum.' These are free men under Soke, but there is not much to distinguish them from people on ancient demesne soil. Cf. Maddox, Exch. 428, c: 'Liberi sokemanni de Askebi et Tinton reddunt compotum de 20 marcis et I palefridi ut Henricus de Nevill eos juste deducat de tenementis quae tenent in eisdem villis, nec ab eis exigat consuetudines vel servitia quae facere non solebant tempore Henrici Regis patris Regis,' etc.