ii] The Demesne. 1270 — 1307. 



23 



fee, and no such allowance was made*. Not infrequently bond 

 tenants discharged some of their labour dues by carrying to distant 

 manors the steward's letters concerning distraints, holding of court, 

 and other matters pertinent to his office^. 



As the steward acted as a check upon the bailiff and other officers, 

 so did the accountants upon the officers of the manor, including the 

 steward himself ^ Before threshing time, they sometimes came to the 

 manor to examine into the condition of the estate, and to estimate 

 the quantity of grains But their most important visit was made after 

 Michaelmas, when the subordinate officers rendered account of what 

 they had purchased, or spent, or received, either of produce or of 

 money, and the clerks drew up the final account. 'Views of 

 account ' were also taken at other times of the year, especially 

 in the springs Among the auditors or accountants were John Bigod, 

 brother of the Earl", and the Abbot of Tinternl One of their chief 

 duties was to collect the money that was due ; for it was not con- 

 sidered wise to leave the lord's money in the hands of bailiff or 

 of reeved 



Besides these regular visitors, some half-dozen casual guests 

 might be expected at the manor yearly. Thus in 1274 came Eborard, 

 the hunter, with two men and four grey hounds and twenty-five 

 of the earl's dogs, and spent three October days at Forncettl In 

 1277, just after Michaelmas, Walter de Vilers, Nicholas Peche and 

 Gilbert, falconers, came with three lads and five falcons belonging to 

 the Earl, and stayed six days^^ At the same time Eborard, the 

 hunter, with a man and dogs, was also there^*'. Sometimes the guests 

 stopped for only one night ; lawyers journeying to Norwich on the 

 Earl's behalf", itinerant bailiffs^^ on their way to Lopham^^ grooms 

 with horses of the Earl^^ knights and clerks travelling on the Earl's 

 business, found this a convenient resting-place^^ 



The Earl and Countess seem to have visited Forncett at irregular 

 intervals, which would perhaps average three or four years. In the 



1 Min. Acc'ts, 935/13, 935/15- " Appendix VIIL, xli. 



'^ Min. Acc'ts, 935/15, Walter of Henley, 108. 

 ^ Min. Acc'ts, 935/15, Walter of Henley, 126. 

 ^ Appendix VHL, xxxvi. Min. Acc'ts, 935/15. 

 ^ Rogers, Agric. and Prices^ i. 165. 



7 Appendix VHI. , xxxvi. For the relation of the Bigods to Tintern Abbey see Dugdale's 

 Monasticon Anglicanwn^ v. 265 ff. , 



8 Min. Acc'ts, 935/13, 935/15- ^ Min. Acc'ts, 935/4. 

 1" Min. Acc'ts, 935/5. • " Min. Acc'ts, 935/11. 

 12 Min. Acc'ts, 935/13. ^^ Min. Acc'ts, 935/15- 



" Min. Acc'ts, 935/5. ^^ Min. Acc'ts, 935/13, 935/i6. 



