36 ENGLISH RURAL LIFE 



There was no official corresponding to the steward 

 of a manor to record the rights, duties and acts of the 

 vill, and as a consequence comparatively little is known 

 of its constitution and character. But it is clear that 

 it was a unit subject to taxation, and was responsible 

 for order, whilst vills appointed at least one executive 

 officer, the constable, who dealt with these questions. 

 The vill continued to be represented in the hundred 

 court and in negotiations with outside bodies by the 

 priest, reeve and selected responsible villagers. The 

 powers and duties of the village community, although 

 they continued, were probably less important than 

 they had been in earlier days or became in later 

 centuries. 



The more important minor authority at that time 

 was the 'halimoot,' a court of the manor that came 

 into existence in the Xlth or Xllth century, and 

 lost much of its power and importance after the 

 XlVth. This moot or court assembled, usually, 

 every three weeks and holders of land in the manor 

 were bound to attend. Its natural place of meeting 

 was the manorial hall ; though in some villages an 

 old custom prevailed of holding meetings in the open 

 air. At this court certain offences were dealt with 

 bad ploughing, the breaking down of fences, the flight 

 of a peasant from his manor, and such misdemeanours 

 were punished ; whilst in some manors more severe 

 crimes were judged for example, a thief might have 

 to be tried and perhaps condemned to death. Further 

 than this, questions of the rules and customs of the 

 manor were here settled: the introduction of a new 

 tenant on the death of his predecessor, the right of 

 a widow to dower, the transfer of land, the rents, 

 services and obligations of the tenants and their 



