1 7 o On the ORIGIN and STRUCTURE of 



they were diftinguifhed, performed the functions of magistrates 

 over it, while the tenants or vaffals of the manor compofed the 

 judges of the manor court, or hallmote, whofe fentences thefe 

 magiflrates carried into execution. 



3^/y, THE ranks and privileges of the inhabitants appear to 

 have been the fame in town and country. Befides, lagmen, as 

 already noticed, we find mention made of thanes in general, as 

 reficling in towns, and performing the fame duties with thofe of 

 the country *. Next to the thanes, burgeffes are enumerated, 

 and thefe appear to have been in very different fituations. Some 

 of them are defcribed as pofleffing lands and houfes in full pro- 

 perty with jurifdi(5lion, and fubjecl: to no rent or cenfus to any 

 penon ; others of them as proprietors of manfes fimply, and 

 ilill enjoying jurifdidiion, even within this fmall property j* ; 

 and others, without this advantage, being fubjected to the jurif- 

 diclion of particular perfons, and yielding to them, or to others, 

 a cenfus or a confuetudo. In fine, others are mentioned, whofe 

 manfes belonged in property to individuals, to whom they yield- 

 ed rent and fervices $ : And, in fome cafes, thefe different fitua- 

 tions appear to be more or lefs blended together ||. Befides 



thefe 



* SEE note, p. 160. ; and the evidence abounds in Doomfday, and' elfewhere. 

 WILLIAM of Malmfbury fpeaks of country barons admitted, long before his time, into 

 the community of London. HiJI. Novor. lib. n. 10. f. 106. 



\ IN Warwick, it is faid, there were 19 burgenfes, " qui habent 19 mafuras, cum fa- 

 " ca et focha, et omnibus confuetudinibus, et ita habebant temp. Reg. ED." The bur- 

 genfes of Exon, it is faid, " Habent extra civitatem, 12 carucat. terras, quas nullam 

 " confuetud. reddunt, nifi ad ipfam civitatem." A manfe in France denoted not only 

 a houfe, but 12 bonne's of land belonging to it. In Doomfday, however, mafura and 

 domus feem to be fynonymous. In Norwich, fome burgeffes enjoyed jurifdiftion and 

 patronage over other burgefles. 



J IN Warwick, the king had, in 'dominio, 113 manfes, and the barones regis 112, 

 which likewife paid geld to the king, and were appendages of their eftates that lay ex- 

 tra burgum. 



'] IN Hereforde, " HERALDOS comes habeb. 27 burgenfes, eafd, confuet. hab. quas 

 " alii burgenfes." The prsepofirus, however, " Habeb. in fuo cenfu fupra diclas om- 

 " nes confuetudines. Rex vero habebat in fuo dominio tres forisfaiSnras. Hoc erat 



" pacem 



