196 p. MANNING PLACE-NAMES AND FIELD-NAMES 



enclosed some 40 years back, and tlie drawing of lots now only 

 survives in the name "Lot Mead." There is, however, in the 

 neighbouring parish of St. Stephen's, on the banks of the Colne 

 between Munden and Hansteads, a piece of unenclosed meadow 

 which still shows the posts dividing up the diiferent lots. Some- 

 times the whole of the common lands was not distributed among 

 the commoners. It was often the practice to put up strips of land 

 to auction for their benefit. It is on record that such a piece of 

 land at Bampton, Oxon, which generally fetched a penny, bore 

 the name of " Penny Ham," and probably "Sixpenny Hill " in this 

 parish owes its name to a like custom. 



As the cattle of the commoners were at liberty to wander over 

 considerable tracts of pasture without fences to keep them in, it 

 was necessary to keep watch over them, and the commoners 

 therefore appointed a cow-ward or cowman, who was paid for his 

 services out of the proceeds of the " Cowman's Field." It was the 

 cowman's duty to see that no commoner should turn out to pasture 

 more cattle than the size of his holding entitled him to, and any 

 beasts found in excess of the right number were liable to be seized 

 and placed in the "Pound," which gave its name to "Pound 

 Field." 



Another important village officer was the smith, who gave his 

 services to the community in return for the proceeds of the 

 " Blacksmith's Field." 



The village festivals formed an important item in the life of such 

 a community as I have sketched. Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, 

 Lammastide, with a host of other feasts, were all the signal for 

 merrymaking, fully recognized and organized by the villa.ae 

 authorities. The "Piper's Field" recalls the time when a piece 

 of land was set aside to pay the village piper, who provided tlie 

 music for these festivities. A passage from Scott's "Old Mortality " 

 may well be quoted in illustration: "Mel [Blane] had gained the 



official situation of town-piper of by his merit, with all the 



emoluments thereof ; namely, the Piper s Croft as it is still called, 

 a field of about an acre in extent ; five merks, and a new livery-coat 

 of the town's colours, yearly . . . ." 



But even from early times, the change from common to indi- 

 vidual ownership was in progress. The numberless "crofts," 

 "closes," "pightles," " slipes," and "tofts" all tell a tale of 

 slow encroachment by private owners on the common lands 

 immediately adjoining their dwellings. All that was required 

 was the suspense of the periodical redisti'ibution of common lands 

 in favour of individuals, and the tenure of a particular piece of 

 land would then become fixed. The process may sometimes be 

 seen going on; e.g., "A close, inclosed out of Pondfield" (Terrier 

 of 1638, Little Berkhamstead, Herts).* 



We may learn not only something of a bygone system of land- 

 tenure, but also the nature of the crops grown, from our field-names. 



* ' Herts Genealogist and Antiquary,' vol. ii, p. 110. 



