"] 



The Demesne. 



1270 — 1307. 



47 



the differences between the earlier and later years seem few and 

 of little general significance. 



Rents show a small and gradual increase. In 1306 they 

 amounted to I5i". more than in 1273, a rise of over 4 per cent. 

 But this does not necessarily denote an increase in the number 

 of tenants, in the area of land let, or in the value of the land. 

 A large part of the increase, at least, was due to payments made 

 by bondmen who had purchased free land, or to small s«ms paid 

 to the lord in return for the grant of special privileges \ The amount 

 of such payments as salt-penny, forth-ward (ward-penny), scor-fee^ 

 and the like remained unaltered. It is to be noted that the lord 

 seems to have had little difficulty in finding tenants during this 

 period, and few of the rent-paying lands remained in his hands. 



One-fourth of the tolls of Stratton market were farmed for 2s. 6d, 

 from 1273 to 1293, for 3^. 6d. in 1300, and 4^-. in 1303 and later. 



Foldage payments declined, as a rule, after 1290. 



The following table shows that in the first years of the fourteenth 

 century more ' manual ' works were annually sold than at an earlier 

 date. This difference, however, does not appear to be a consequence 

 of the working of general causes, or to indicate an advance toward 

 complete commutation. On the contrary a close examination of the 

 rolls seems to show that local and temporary causes suffice to explain 

 the change. 



Number of * works ' due each year. 



Winter works Summer works Autumn works Total 



1505 245 1223 2973 



Number of works sold. 



1 



2 For the meaning of this term cf. Appendix VIII., p. xxx., n. 



