vii] The Tenants and their Land. 1400 — 1575. 83 



During the period under consideration (1401-1 500), the copyhold of 

 which a tenant was seized at death is recorded in 286 cases. In only 

 23 cases (8 per cent.) did the tenant hold more than 15 acres by 

 this tenure. After 1450 it is more usual than before to find over 

 15 acres of copyhold in the hands of a single tenant. Later, this 

 tendency toward the concentration of larger areas in the hands 

 of individuals becomes increasingly marked. Thus taking for 

 purposes of comparison with conditions in the fifteenth century, 

 fifteen years in the middle of the sixteenth century (1546-1560), 

 we find that in 16 out of 83 cases (19*3 per cent.) the area of 

 copyhold held at death exceeded 15 acres. Yet the largest holding 

 of copyhold was but %J acres. 



The rolls afford a much more detailed picture of the condition 

 of the serfs than of the free tenantry, especially the freeholders. 

 But the rolls and the Survey of 1565 both give some information 

 regarding even the last class. 



In December, 1400, the first court of Thomas Mowbray was held 

 at Forncett, and many tenants did fealty \ These tenants were 

 grouped in three classes : 



Libere tenentes^ numbering 20, 

 Native tenentes, numbering 25, 

 Nativi domini de sanguine, numbering 22. 



Since many of the tenants failed to do fealty in this court 

 and either attorned themselves in later courts or omitted the 

 ceremony altogether, the numbers are incomplete, especially for 

 the first two classes. 



Comparing these three classes of tenants with the classes found 

 on the manor in the earlier periods, it appears possible to make 

 the following identifications : 



The libere tenentes of 1400 represent the libere tenentes of 

 I 270-1 307. 



The native tenentes of 1400 probably represent the free sokemen 

 of 1 270- 1 307. 



The nativi domini de sanguine of 1400 represent the customers 

 and bond sokemen of 1 270-1 307. 



The last two identifications require support, and in this con- 

 nection it will be convenient to present the reasons for believing 

 that there were both free and bond sokemen on the manor. 



According to the Survey of 1565 some 1000 acres of bond 

 land {terra nativa) were held of Forncett manor. Of these not 



^ Appendix X. Ixxii., Ixxiii. 



6—2 



