44 ENGLISH RURAL LIFE 



WEEK-WORK. 



Valued at 



s. d. 



From 2 to 3 days' work a week : a total of 122^ 



days' work in the year ............ 6 9 



BOON-WORK. 



Six days' special work with one man ...... i o 



One day's reaping with two men, food provided o 2 

 ' Half a carriage ' for carrying wheat and the 



same for carrying hay ............ o 2 



Ploughing and harrowing one acre ...... o 6 



A ploughing called 'graserthe' ......... o i 



One day's harrowing of oatland ...... o i 



Making a quarter of malt ............ o i 



One day's washing and shearing sheep ... o o 



One day's hoeing ............... o o 



Three days' mowing ............ o 6 



One day's nutting ............... o o 



One day's carrying to the stack ......... o o 



Total 



s. d. 

 GAFOL. Horse load of wood o o 



TAXES. Tallage : once a year at the lord's will. 



It will be seen from this example that the gafol 

 or tribute was not very heavy ; indeed the claim on 

 the man's time was everywhere the most serious 

 demand, especially at harvest, when there must often 

 have been a struggle between the bailiff and the men 

 for the labour necessary to get in the crops. But apart 

 from these special times the bondsman could hardly 

 as a rule have been greatly overworked, for though 

 he certainly laboured for long hours in the summer 

 the Church saw that he had his Sundays and saints' 



