68 THE ENCLOSURES IN ENGLAND [224 



degrading marks of serfdom was an important cause in the 

 sequence of agrarian changes which took place in the four- 

 teenth century. (Serfdom as a status was hardly affected^ 

 but a thousand entries record the poverty and destitutiorl 

 which made it necessary to lighten the economic burdens of 

 the serfs. At Brightwell, for example, the works of three 

 half-virgaters were relaxed, the record reads, because of 

 their poverty (1349-1350).^ Some villains had no oxen, 

 and were excused their plowing on this account, or were al- 

 lowed to substitute manual labor for carting services.^ At 

 Weston, in 1370, a tenant "now arat terram domini causa 

 paupertafe." ^ At Downton, in 1376-12,77 f no money could 

 be collected from the villains in place of the services they 

 owed in haymaking.* Frequently when services were com- 

 muted for money, the record of the fact is accompanied by 

 the statement that the change was made on account of the 

 poverty of the tenants. At Witney, for instance, the 



works and services of all the native tenants were commuted 

 at fixed payments (ad certos denarios) by favour of the lord as 

 long as the lord pleases, on account of the poverty of the 

 homage.® 



The reduction in rent in this case was at least a third of the 

 total. The value of the customary services commuted was 

 at least ten shillings six pence per acre, and they were com- 

 muted at six shillings eight pence. Other explicit references 

 to the poverty of the tenants as the cause of commutation 

 are quoted by Page : 



1 Levett and Ballard, op. cit., p. 108. 



2 Ihid., pp. 38, 115. 



3 Page, op. cit., p. 342, note 2. 



* Levett and Ballard, op. cit., p. 115. 



5 Ihid., p. 200. ; 



