CH. iv] The Demesne. 1400 — 1605. 57 



No later reference to the manor-house has been found in the 

 rolls. There is evidence that before 1491 the manor-house had 

 disappeared, for in that year a tenant held ** scitum manerii vocatum 

 le Maner Yerd cum i. domo in eodem scitu vocata le Incethous\" 



It has been seen that some 180 acres of arable demesne lay in 

 scattered pieces of various sizes, while 120 acres formed the single 

 piece known as Westwood Ridding. 



In 1373 the scattered arable was leased as a whole. Later it was 

 let in small parcels to many tenants. Thus in 141 2, 7 acres were let 

 to one tenant, 3 J acres to a second, 3 acres to a third, and one acre 

 to a fourth. Some of the pieces were let for terms of years, others 

 from year to year^ 



In the case of the demesne, as of other lands that were let to 

 farm, leases for six or seven years were followed by leases for longer 

 terms of 12, 20, or 40 years. Toward the end of the fifteenth century 

 the system of leasing former demesne for terms of years, or from 

 year to year, was practically abandoned. Lands formerly held by 

 this tenure were granted to be held ' at fee farm,' i.e. at a perpetual 

 money rent. They were conveyed in the manor court like copyhold, 

 and like copyhold were held " ad voluntatem domini secundum 

 consuetudinem manerii." 



To illustrate these changes in tenure the conveyances relating to 

 one small parcel of the demesne are appended ^ The history of this 

 piece is that of the whole demesne, except that some of the pieces 

 were for a time let from year to year. 



Although in the thirteenth century Westwood Ridding had been 

 arable, in the latter fourteenth and in the early fifteenth century it 

 was used for pasture. In 1373 the pasturage of the Ridding was let 

 for seven years. In 1406 'one piece of pasture called le Redyng,' 

 and containing 120 acres, was let for seven years at 30i-. In 141 1 

 it was again farmed as a whole for 33^-. 4^. In 143 1 ' one half of the 

 close called Ridding' was farmed. In 1467 this piece was divided 

 into halves, which were granted to different tenants to hold at fee 

 farm. In 143 1 a parcel of 25 acres was farmed for 10 years. In 



before. In both years a carpenter received \d. a day, and a thatcher and his assistant ^d. 

 between them. In 1433 the work of repairing hedges was paid at the rate of ^d. a day. In 

 1376-78 the wages paid for ditching and plastering were yi. or \d. 



1 From a later conveyance of this property it appears that the * incet house ' was a 

 stable. 



2 1497. Grant to W. F. of 6a. ^t. lately demesne which W. F. lately took to farm 'de 

 anno in annum.' There are other similar entries. 



^ Appendix XI. Ixxv, Ixxvi. 



