342 ENGLISH FIELD SYSTEMS 



end was achieved by the folding of sheep and cattle upon arable 

 fallow, a usage likewise revealed by the custumals. On many 

 manors the tenant of villein land had to make wattles and carry 

 them about. Often he furnished five with ten supports and moved 

 them at least once a year.* Such procedure, it may be said, 

 refers merely to the demesne acres upon which the sheep of tenant 

 and lord were folded together. In certain instances it is indeed 

 specifically declared that the tenants' sheep shall lie '' in falda 

 domini " throughout the year and the cattle from Pentecost to 

 Michaelmas.2 Had this always been the case, an enclosed demesne 

 might account for the requisitions, and we need assume no 

 unusual field system. It is the third item of the extents that 

 forces us to believe that the system was unique. 



This item specifies the payment of " faldagium." " Et dabit 

 de faldagio ad Gulam Augusti per annum pro quolibet bove unum 

 denarium. Pro qualibet vacca sterili unum denarium. Pro 

 qualibet vacca cum vitulo duos denarios. Et pro qualibet iu- 

 venca duorum annorum vel pro quolibet Bovecto eiusdem etatis 

 unum obulum. Et pro quinque ovibus unum denarium. Et 

 ideo nee oves sue nee averia sua iacere debent in falda domini." ' 

 The payment of foldage according to this scale exempted the 

 tenant's sheep and cattle from being folded with those of his 

 lord over the demesne acres. Upon several manors, especially 

 in Suffolk, the tenant had no obligation either to fold sheep 

 or to pay if he did not, the custom being that " oves sue non 

 iacebunt in falda domini." * In the Ramsey cartulary the same 

 privilege is recorded in slightly different phrase. That the 

 villein " habet suam faldam," or at least had it during a part of 



* " Et dabit decern palos et quinque cleyas falde sine cibo. ... Et portabit 

 quinque cleyas falde domini et totidem palos semel in anno de uno campo in alium 

 sine cibo . . ." (Cott. MS., Claud. C XI, f. 243J, Bridgham). 



^ " Oves sue iacebunt in falda domini per totum annum preter oves matrices 

 tempore agnilis. ... Et omnia alia averia sua iacebunt in falda domini a 

 pentecoste usque ad festum Sancti Martini preter vaccas. . . . Et boves similiter 

 iacebunt in falda domini inter pentecostem et festum omnium sanctorum si non 

 dederit cupam pro eis ut supradictum est " (ibid.). 



' Ibid., f. 2216, Derham. 



* Ibid., f. 2596, Glemsford; f. 265, "Herthirst"; f. 272, Rattlesden; f. 279J, 

 Hitcham; f. 2886, Barking; f. 296^, Wetheringsett; f. 303, Brandon. 



