54 ENGLISH RURAL LIFE 



that these peasants, although they paid rent, were not 

 in the position of a modern leasehold tenant. They 

 held their land on terms founded on the local custom 

 and were generally in practice permanent tenants, 

 while their rents did not represent the economic value 

 of the land, but the value of the old customary services 

 or obligations under which it had been held. 



While these changes in the social position of the 

 peasants were gradually going on, the lords of the 

 manors were themselves introducing other new condi- 

 tions. There was more sheep farming for wool, for 

 which at that time there was an increasing demand ; 

 and a custom was also growing up of letting off part of 

 the home farm and sometimes part of the waste, either 

 stocked or otherwise, on leases for lives or for a term of 

 years at rents representing the true annual value of 

 the land. 



Undoubtedly, by the middle of the XlVth century 

 there were many manors in which, although the open 

 fields were still divided and managed as before, yet 

 they would be held by peasants paying money rents, 

 whilst the home farm might be worked by paid labour 

 or let at money rents, or, perhaps, employed in sheep 

 farming. 



In the midst of this time of change came the Black 

 Death, from which arose quite definite results in village 



life. Much land, of course, fell out of culti- 

 Deat^and the vat ^ on temporarily or permanently, and so 

 land and there might be for a year or two a shortage 

 difficulties ^ w ^eat, rye and other corn. On the other 



hand, the live stock would be greatly in 

 excess of the needs of the reduced population and 

 would go far to provide the needed food. At the same 



