CONTENTS 



PAGE 



PREFACE BY CHARLES BATHURST . . . .V 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE . . xi 



PART I 

 MEDIAEVAL RURAL LIFE 



CHAPTER I 



THE ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE COMMUNITY . . .1 



The Celts under Rome The Anglo-Saxon invasion The 

 creating of a village community The part taken by the 

 governing class The structure of rural life The village 

 community Local government. The moots The tuns and 

 the estates The development of rural life 



CHAPTER II 



THE DEGRADING OF THE PEOPLE . . -17 



The gradual depression of the people Causes of degradation 

 in Anglo-Saxon times Conditions in Edward the Confessor's 

 reign The invasion of the Normans and its effect Domesday 

 Book 



CHAPTER III 



THE MANOR AND THE VILLAGE . . . . 30 



General character of the manors The buildings The land 

 The people and their social organization Local government 

 Some general characteristics of the estate Land tenure and 

 the law Manorial records Serfdom and the restrictions 

 which accompanied it 



