314 The Customs of Four Manors of the Abbey of Lacock. 



lord or his bailiff; also called "boonwork"; mostly in 

 ploughing and harvest. 



(2) Opera diurna, or day work ; a fixed number of days each 



week, for the whole or a specified portion of the day. 



(3) Averagia, carrying services; a matter of much importance 



when transport was so little organised. This service 

 naturally fell chiefly on the virgaters, who had cattle of 

 their own, and if within the county was to be at their 

 own cost, if without, at the cost of the lord. 



(4) Occasional works at times of special pressure, such as hay- 



making, shearing, etc. 



To cope witli this complicated system of labour, there was 

 required on each nianor a staff of servants, servicntes, or ministri, 

 as they are called at Heddington. There was first the sencscallus 

 seneschal, or steward, who had charge of a number of manors, and 

 accounted for the profits thereof directly to the lord ; then on each 

 manor the ballivus, or bailiff appointed by the lord, side by side 

 with whom we find the^jrepo^'iYitsorreeve, appointed by the tenants 

 and looked upon as their representative. These two officers were 

 jointly responsible for the due performance of the work on each 

 manor, and we see an endeavour, in this double ari'angement, after 

 a rough sort of equity, the bailiff' being charged with the lord's 

 interest, the reeve with that of the tenants. This latter office was 

 looked upon as a distinguishing mark of servile condition, and was 

 by no means eagerly sought after, exemption from it being highly 

 prized, and some compensating privilege or relaxation of rent 

 being usually attached to it. 



Next comes usually the messor, hay ward, or harvestman, charged 

 with the oversight of the hay and corn harvest. 



Then follow the ploughmen, carucarii, or akermanni, who were, 

 as a rule, equal in number to the ploughs and plough-teams on the 

 demesne land/ the shepherds (pastores, bercarii), the cow-herd 

 (custos vaccarmn), swineherd (jwrcarius), dairyman, waggoner 



* At Heddington, for instance there were three ploughs on the demesne at 

 the Domesday Survey, and in these customs it is mentioned that there are 

 three carucarii. 



