Ill] The Demesne. 1376 — 78. 55 



the new payments are noteworthy. Two men paid that they might 

 be 'unburdened' of their 5-acre holdings^, and 5-acre tenements 

 were held by a peculiarly onerous tenure^. The wife of Thomas 

 Southauwe paid 15^-. yearly that she might be excused from the 

 performance of all works and customs^ A bondman paid \%d. for 

 license to live outside the demesne^ There were many payments 

 ('increments') from bondmen who had purchased land originally free^ 



The 250 acres or thereabouts of farmed land had come into the 

 lord's hands in the two ways already noted''. Some of the leases 

 recorded were granted in 1370. There is no evidence of earlier 

 leasing of demesne land for terms of years. There are, however, 

 many early instances of leasing. Thus the manor of Witlingham, 

 which was in Earl Bigod's hands during the minority of the heir, was 

 farmed from 1278-80, and there are many similar cases recorded 

 on the early account rolls. Market tolls were farmed as was also 

 the milk of cows. In 1300 a payment was made for land which had 

 been granted for the term of life. In the court roll of 1358 a similar 

 grant was entered. In 1332 a tenant paid a fine for 'having his 

 term ' in land hired from another tenant for the term of six years. 

 But as has been said there is no instance of the farming of demesne 

 land for a term of years prior to 1370. Now, in some cases, where 

 the land had been heavily burdened with labour services, the rent 

 paid by the lessee to the lord did not equal the value of the labour 

 services previously due from the land. On the other hand, some of 

 the land which had fallen into the lord's hands had apparently been 

 very lightly charged, either with money rents or with services. In 

 the case of such land the lord gained by letting it on the new terms. 

 On the whole these 250 acres now brought to the lord nearly as 

 much as before. The demesne, however, leased partly as arable, 

 partly as pasture, was distinctly less valuable than before. 



In comparing the net profits from the manor in 1376-77 with 

 those accruing between 1272- 1307 it must be remembered that in 

 the earlier period some of the grain and stock were used in pro- 

 visioning the earl's larder, or were sent to other of the manors of 

 the earl. In ilJ^-j^, on the contrary, the net profits represent the 

 whole of the income from the manor. 



Allowing then for the value of stock and grain used by the earl 

 in the earlier period, the decrease in the value of the manor of 

 Forncett by 1376-77 may be estimated as about ^30. 



1 Appendix IX. xliii. ^ See below, p. 65. 



3 Appendix IX. xliiff. "* See above, p. 51. 



