The People in Country and Town
"The following official account of an English manor and its people gives a good idea of the condition of the serfs in general..."
From: 1300 C.E. To: 1400 C.E.
Location: Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Readings in European History: A Collection of Extracts from the Sources by James Harvey Robinson, 1906.
The Manor and its People
The following official account of an English manor and its people gives a good idea of the condition of the serfs in general.
A Manor in Sussex, 1307
Extent of the manor of Bernehorne, made on Wednesday following the feast of St. Gregory the pope, in the fifth year of the reign of King Edward, in the presence of Brother Thomas, keeper of Marley, John de la More, and Adam de Thruhlegh, clerks, on the oath of William de Gocecoumbe, Walter le Parker, Richard le Knyst, Richard the son of the latter, Andrew of Estone, Stephen Morsprich, Thomas Brembel, William of Swynham, John Pollard, Roger le Glede, John Syward, and John de Lillingewist, who say that there are all the following holdings:...
John Pollard holds a half acre in Aldithewisse and owes 18d. [from the Roman denarius, or penny, or pence] at the four terms, and owes for it relief and heriot.
John Suthinton holds a house and 40 acres of land and owes 3s. [shillings, equivalent to 12d. or 1/20 of a pound] 6d. at Easter and Michaelmas.
William of Swynham holds 1 acre of meadow in the thicket of Swynham and owes 1d. at the feast of Michaelmas.
Ralph of Leybourne holds a cottage and 1 acre of land in Pinden and owes 3s. at Easter and Michaelmas, and attendance at the court in the manor every three weeks, also relief and heriot.
Richard Knyst of Swynham holds 2 acres and a half of land and owes yearly 4s.
William of Knelle holds 2 acres of land in Aldithewisse and owes yearly 4s.
Roger le Glede holds a cottage and 3 roods of land and owes 2s. 6d. at Easter and Michaelmas.
Alexander Hamound holds a little piece of land near Aldewisse and owes 1 goose of the value of 2d.
The sum of the whole rent of the free tenants, with the value of the goose, is 18s. 9d.
They say, moreover, that John of Cay worth holds a house and 30 acres of land, and owes yearly 2s. at Easter and Michaelmas; and he owes a cock and two hens at Christmas of the value of 4d.
And he ought to harrow for 2 days at the Lenten sowing with one man and his own horse and his own harrow, the value of the work being 4d.; and he is to receive from the lord on each day 3 meals, of the value of 5d., and then the lord will be at a loss of 1d. Thus his harrowing is of no value to the service of the lord.
And he ought to carry the manure of the lord for 2 days with 1 cart, with his own 2 oxen, the value of the work being 8d.; and he is to receive from the lord each day 3 meals as above. And thus the service is worth 3d. clear.
And he shall find one man for 2 days, for mowing the meadow of the lord, who can mow, by estimation, 1 acre and a half, the value of the mowing of an acre being 6d.: the sum is therefore 9d. And he is to receive each day 3 meals of the value given above. And thus that mowing is worth 4d. clear.
And he ought to gather and carry that same hay which he has cut, the price of the work being 3d.
And he shall have from the lord 2 meals for 1 man, of the value of 1 1/2d. Thus the work will be worth 1 1/2d. clear.
And he ought to carry the hay of the lord for 1 day with a cart and 3 animals of his own, the price of the work being 6d. And he shall have from the lord 3 meals of the value of 2 1/2d. And thus the work is worth 3 1/2d. clear.
And he ought to carry in autumn beans or oats for 2 days with a cart and 3 animals of his own, the value of the work being 12d. And he shall receive from the lord each day 3 meals of the value given above. And thus the work is worth 7d. clear.
And he ought to carry wood from the woods of the lord as far as the manor, for two days in summer, with a cart and 3 animals of his own, the value of the work being 9d. And he shall receive from the lord each day 3 meals of the price given above. And thus the work is worth 4d. clear.
And he ought to find 1 man for 2 days to cut heath, the value of the work being 4d., and he shall have 3 meals each day of the value given above: and thus the lord will lose, if he receives the service, 3d. Thus that mowing is worth nothing to the service of the lord.
And he ought to carry the heath which he has cut, the value of the work being 5d. And he shall receive from the lord 3 meals at the price of 2 1/2d. And thus the work will be worth 2 1/2d. clear.
And he ought to carry to Battle, twice in the summer season, each time half a load of grain, the value of the service being 4d. And he shall receive in the manor each time 1 meal of the value of 2d. And thus the work is worth 2d. clear.
The totals of the rents, with the value of the hens, is 2s. 4d.
The total of the value of the works is 2 s. 3 1/2d., owed from the said John yearly.
William of Cayworth holds a house and 30 acres of land and owes at Easter and Michaelmas 2s. rent. And he shall do all customs just as the aforesaid John of Cayworth.
William atte Grene holds a house and 30 acres of land and owes in all things the same as the said John….
And it is to be noted that none of the above-named villeins can give their daughters in marriage, nor cause their sons to be tonsured, nor can they cut down timber growing on the lands they hold, without license of the bailiff or sergeant of the lord, and then for building purposes and not otherwise. And after the death of any one of the aforesaid villeins, the lord shall have as a heriot his best animal, if he had any; if, however, he have no living beast, the lord shall have no heriot, as they say. The sons or daughters of the aforesaid villeins shall give, for entrance into the holding after the death of their predecessors, as much as they give of rent per year.
Sylvester, the priest, holds 1 acre of meadow adjacent to his house and owes yearly 3s….
The Medieval Town
As the towns grew up, certain local customs came into existence. These were nothing more than the rules which the townspeople recognized as necessary to maintain order and prevent misunderstandings. They were not necessarily written down, as every one was supposed to be familiar with them. The commissioners of William the Conqueror judged it wise, however, to include in Domesday Book some forty of the town customs which involved the king's financial interests. The following provisions occur among those of Chester:
If any free man of the king broke the peace which had been granted, and killed a man in his house, all his land and money came to the king, and he himself became an outlaw.
He who shed blood between Monday morning and the ninth hour of Saturday compounded for it with ten shillings. From the ninth hour of Saturday to Monday morning bloodshed was compounded for with twenty shillings. Similarly any one paid twenty shillings who shed blood in the twelve days after Christmas, on the day of the Purification of the Blessed Mary, on the first day after Easter, the first day of Pentecost, Ascension day, on the Assumption or Nativity of the Blessed Mary, and on the day of All Saints.
He who killed a man on these holy days compounded for it with four pounds; but on other days, with forty shillings. Similarly he who committed burglary or assault on those feast days or on Sunday, four pounds; on other days, forty shillings.
Any one setting prisoners free in the city gave ten shillings. But if the reeve of the king or of the earl committed this offense, he compounded for it with twenty shillings.
He who committed theft or robbery, or exercised violence upon a woman in a house, compounded for each of these with forty shillings.
He who in the city seized upon the land of another and was not able to prove it to be his was fined forty shillings. Similarly also he who made claim upon it, if he was not able to prove it to be his.
He who did not pay the tax at the period at which he owed it compounded for it with ten shillings.
If fire burned the city, he from whose house it started compounded for it with three oras of pennies, and gave to his next neighbor two shillings. Of all these forfeitures, two parts belonged to the king and the third to the earl.
A man or a woman making false measure in the city, and being arrested, compounded for it with four shillings. Similarly a person making bad ale was either placed in the ducking stool or gave four shillings to the reeve. This forfeiture the officer of the king and of the earl received in the city, in whosesoever land it has been done, either of the bishop or of another man. Similarly also, if any one held the toll back beyond three nights, he compounded for it with forty shillings….
The lists of rules established by the craft guilds, an example of which is given below, cast much light on the industrial conditions and the habits of the mediaeval artisans.
In honour of God, of our Lady, and of All Saints, and for the nurture of tranquillity and peace among the good folk, the Megucers, called white-tawyers, the folk of the same trade have, by assent of Richard Lacer, mayor, and of the Aldermen, ordained the points underwritten.
In the first place, they have ordained that they will furnish a wax candle, to burn before our Lady, in the church of All-hallows, near London wall.
Also, that each person of the said trade shall put in the box such sum as he shall think fit, in aid of maintaining the said candle.
Also, if by chance any of the said trade shall fall into poverty, whether through old age or because he cannot labor or work, and shall have nothing with which to keep himself, he shall have every week from the said box seven pence for his support, if he be a man of good repute. And after his decease, if he have a wife, a woman of good repute, she shall have weekly for her support seven pence from the said box, so long as she shall behave herself well and keep single.
And that no stranger shall work in the said trade, or keep a house for the same in the city, if he be not an apprentice, or a man admitted to the franchise of the said city.
And that no one shall take the serving man of another to work with him, during his term, unless it be with the permission of his master.
And if any one of the said trade shall have work in his house that he cannot complete, or if for want of assistance such work shall be in danger of being lost, those of the said trade shall aid him, that so the said work be not lost.
And if any one of the said trade shall depart this life, and have not withal to be buried, he shall be buried at the expense of their common box. And when any one of the said trade shall die, all those of the said trade shall go to the vigil, and make offering on the morrow….
Knights, Burghers, and Farmers
Although the various contracts and other legal documents, examples of which have been given, contain the most accurate information available in regard to the condition of the farmers and townspeople in the Middle Ages, we may get a livelier, and in some ways better, idea of the general situation from the fiction of the period. While this cannot be taken as history, such tales as those given below seem to give an essentially true and living picture of the attitude of the various classes of society toward one another.
Wolfram von Eschenbach (d. ca, 1225), the famous German minnesinger, narrates the adventures of William, count of Orange and margrave of Aquitaine, who, although he really lived in the eighth century, fares in Wolfram's tale as any knight might have done at the opening of the thirteenth, when Wolfram wrote.
William had to defend his possessions in southern France against the Saracens. Having carried off a Saracen princess, he was attacked by the infidels, defeated, and forced to hasten to the court of King Louis of France for assistance.
After some days—I know not how many—the bold hero came to Orleans....In the morning he left his inn and fared forth into the city. Now there was in the town a man thirteenth of power who held his head high because he wielded authority in the king's name. He tried to wreak causeless spite upon the margrave; but the knight gave him as good as he sent. "I go scot free of toll!" he cried. "There are no merchants' mares nor pack horses at my back. I am a condensed knight, as you see. If you can ferret out no harm I have done to the land here, let that stand to my credit. I did not ride out of the road upon the harvest field; I kept to the beaten track, which is free to all the world. What I had need of to feed myself and my horse I have paid for."
But the magistrate and his men sternly ordered him to halt, and at the burgher's behest forthwith the people of the town came flocking from all sides. The magistrate cried, "This traveler must pay to the full a tax as great as the harm he has done." In sooth it was a shame that they did not let him go free. The magistrate called to his people, "Seize his bridle rein!" He answered: "My horse carries no load but only me and this shield. I’ve had enough of this." Out flashed his sword, and the magistrate grew shorter by a head. Then the margrave hewed out a way through the crowd for man and steed, so hastily that soon the street was wide. The alarm bell began to sound.
Arnalt, son of the count of Narbonne, heard in his castle the doleful cries that rang through all the streets. Soon the magistrate's wife came to him and fell down on the ground before him. She made her moan: "The king is put to shame and I am undone. My husband lies in the marketplace, slain by one who travels without retinue. He fought off all our people, and has gone hence unhindered. Woe is me! He has left us a grim trophy for toll on the king's highway."
To whom Count Arnalt: "Who can this be whose might has done ye this ill? Were he a merchant, woman, he must needs have a train and pay toll for his wares." Those who had come with the woman bore witness: "He carries a shield, his banner is flecked with rust, yet in all Frankland know we no knight whose armor is so costly and beautiful, like the sun's beam to look upon—and eke his doublet and his shield. As he put us to rout he cried wildly, “Monjoie!”
The count cried: "Cowards all! Did ye not even know it is not seemly to treat a knight like a tradesman? What should a knight give for toll? Ye durst not murmur if he took all your lives. Yet for the king's sake, whose crown my sister wears, I must after him."
With his knights, he armed and hastened after the margrave. A little way from the town they overtook him, and the count gave him battle. Both bore themselves bravely. They did not give over fighting until the count became aware that the stranger knight was his own brother. After a parley, Arnalt let William ride on to seek the king. Then the burghers clamored to know why he was suffered to go free. To whom the count: "It is William, the margrave; I can in no wise suffer him to be killed here on French ground. The burghers of Orleans have borne themselves like clumsy boors. Ye dolts! How could my brother pay toll like a merchant? Even he who knows but ill the just dues of knights knows that he goes free of tax."
Meanwhile William rode on his way, and in due time reached Moulon. A great crowd was gathered there for a royal festival, and the knight could find no place to lodge. At last he went forth from the town. He took off his helmet and stretched himself on the grass beside the road. Then came a merchant from the town and begged him most courteously to do honor to all merchants by going to lodge with him. The merchant's name was Wimar, and he was born of knightly blood. He said, "If ye will but grant me this boon to-day, all my fellows will tell afterward of the great honor that was done me." The margrave answered: "What ye ask I grant right gladly. I will requite ye as I can. And now lead on; I follow you."
The merchant then said courteously: "You should ride, and I must walk; else will I stand here the week through." The margrave replied: "I know friendship's tie but ill if I suffer ye to be my servant. Let me show courtesy like your own. I will follow you on foot; for I would be your good comrade."
Wimar led his guest to his house. There the knight suffered them to disarm him, for he had no fear. And now the host bade his servants lay mattress and pillow and rich coverlid on the carpet. Then Wimar ordered that many viands, dainty and fresh, be brought to be cooked and roasted,—meat of all sorts and fish besides. All was daintily prepared. They set a little table for the margrave alone; and when he had washed his hands, his host served him right deftly. There were dishes manifold, and an emperor would not have disdained the liquors. The roast peacock was served with the best sauce the host knew; and there were capon, pheasant, partridge, and lamprey served in jelly.
The knight rested at the merchant's house until the next day and then went to seek the king.
Robinson, James Harvey. Readings in European History: A Collection of Extracts from the Sources. Vol. 1. Ginn and Co. 1906.
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