A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



gillyflower. 23 Frequently, however, the free tenants and socmen performed 

 actual services. The socmen of Collingham did each six days' work a year, 

 and an additional three days in August. Among them they had fourteen 

 ploughs, and each ploughed thrice in Lent. Together they ploughed and 

 harrowed 48 acres, which they reaped in August. Further, they paid alto- 

 gether 12 a year. The villeins each did one day's work a week, and three 

 extra days in August. They dug and carried twenty loads of turf, and carried 

 sixty cart-loads of wood. They harrowed all the winter and paid 4 of tax. 8 * 

 The works of the free tenants and natrui elsewhere and at a later date 

 were similar, though sometimes more complicated. The custom of giving 

 food to the tenants while they were working for the lord was common. 



At Wheatley (14 Edw. II) 26 the work of eleven socmen, holding 

 altogether 9^ bovates, is as follows : they find half a plough for each bovate, 

 ploughing one day in winter, one at Lent, and one in summer ; and 

 further they plough, harrow, and sow with corn from the lord's granary, 

 half a rod of land ; also, still for each bovate, the socmen find four men for 

 three days' boon work, who receive each two loaves worth id. for each day. 

 Further, each of the eleven finds one man for three and a half days at harvest 

 who also receives two loaves ; and each socman is to harrow two days a year 

 and weed for one day ; and to find one man for mowing and haymaking, and 

 for carrying four loads of hay to the manor ; finally, for each bovate they 

 must make i 8 perches of hedge. 



The work of the three free tenants belonging to the same manor was 

 lighter. They found three ploughs, and ploughed for three days ; like the 

 socmen they did mowing, haymaking, and carrying. One of them had to 

 find three men for three days in autumn, and one two men, but this was all. 

 The forty-one custumarii, on the other hand, had much heavier tasks : 

 they held altogether 30 bovates, and found three ploughing oxen or avers for 

 each bovate ; 26 like the socmen they ploughed three days a year, but the 

 additional land, which they were to sow, plough, and harrow, was i acre 

 per bovate instead of half a rod. They were to finish the weeding of the 

 lord's corn, which is estimated at six days' work for each bovate. They 

 shared the socmen's task of haymaking, and mowed an extra meadow and 

 carried the hay thence ; their boon work was similar to that of the socmen, 

 but at harvest they had to find a man per bovate for six days instead of for 

 three and a half. They had to finish the work of the harvest, if the ordinary 

 work did not suffice, and to help to carry it ; and like the socmen they 

 made 1 8 perches 27 of hedge for each bovate. Altogether the work of the 

 custumarii seems to have been worth about a third as much again as that of 

 the socmen, 28 while their holdings were clearly smaller, which probably 

 accounts for the socman's relief being i6j., while the heriot of the custumarius 

 was only 5-f. 4^. 



Still the socman was probably nearer akin in social status to the custumarius 

 than to the free tenant. By the manor customs of Wheatley, socman and 

 custumarius alike could be chosen to the office of reeve, and both, as well as 



n Inq. p.m 6 Edw. I, no. 268. " Chron. Petnburgense, 166. " Rent, and Surv. R. 546, 14 Edw. II. 

 " The Wheatley plough is stated ' to be made of eight beasts.' Each plough received four loaves a day 

 while on the lord's service. 



" The Wheatley perch of arable measured 20 ft. ; of meadow, 1 7 ft. 

 18 The 'rents of assize' on this manor were 30 l8/. o\d. 



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