PART I 



(ABOUT 450-1381) 

 MEDIAEVAL RURAL LIFE 



CHAPTER I 

 THE ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGE COMMUNITY 



ENGLAND has, from very early times, contained within 

 its boundaries corn-growing and pastoral districts, 



but corn-growing took in mediaeval times 

 unL^Rome. a mucn more important position than it 



does at the present day. Even in the 

 earliest historic times, the corn crop had great impor- 

 tance. Indeed the invasion of the Romans, though to 

 some extent a mere adventure, was certainly inspired, 

 in part, by the desire to secure control of a country 

 where not only was there mineral wealth, but also corn 

 that could be exported. The Romans on their arrival 

 in England found the country in the hands of the 

 Celts, a race of the type of the Irish, a brave and 

 imaginative people, with some civilization of their own 

 which included a knowledge of such arts as the work- 

 ing of iron, copper and gold, and also apparently a 

 love of music and poetry. Though there were even 



