32 THE GREAT PLAGUE AND ITS RESULTS II 



The rapidity with which commutation advanced between 

 1390-1440 will perhaps be more apparent if we take the 

 larger number of 59, though we cannot unfortunately trace 

 their history during the thirty years preceding. 



Thus whereas in 1390 there were, out of 59, 14 manors 

 where there was no commutation, except the team work, in 

 1440 some commutation had extended to all, and whereas 

 in 1390 there were only 17 in which most of the labour 

 services were commuted, in 1440 there were 25, and 23 in 

 which total commutation had taken place, against 16 in 

 1390. 



No commutation except team work 

 Half commuted .... 

 Nearly all . 

 All 



1380-90 

 14 , 

 12 , 

 17 

 16 



1440 







11 



23 



Or again, out of 182 manors, in the year 1440, 101 had 

 commuted all services, 52 almost all, 19 half, and in 8 only 

 was none of the labour, except the team work, commuted. 



After 1440, we have unfortunately not enough statistics 

 to help us, yet it is pretty certain that by the middle of the 

 century there were few manors on which praedial services 

 were exacted. Some of the old incidents of villein tenure, 

 such as fines on alienation, inability of the tenant to cut 

 ancient timber and even the payment of heriot by the 

 successor survived, but the uncertainty of the services which 

 had been the essential characteristic of the tenure in villein- 

 age disappeared. Meanwhile the villeins who remained 



