ii ] The nciiH'suc. 1270 I.; 



fee, and ii.i such allowance was made 1 . \,,t infYe<|uent!y bond 

 truants disch >me of tlu-ir labour dues by carrying to distant 



manors the steward's letters concerning distraints, holding of court, 

 and other matters pertinent to his offlc- 



As the Steward acted as a check upon the bailiff and other officers, 

 so did the accountants upon the- officers of the manor, including the 

 steward himself". Mi-fore threshing lime, they sometimes came to the 

 manor to examine into the condition of th< and to estimate 



the quantity of strain'. Mtit their most important visit was made after 

 Michaelmas, when the subordinate officers rendered account of what 

 they had purchased, or spent, or received, either of produce or of 

 money, and the clerks drew up the final account. 'Views of 

 account' were also taken at other times of the year, especially 

 in the spring 3 . Among the auditors or accountants were John Bigod, 

 brother of the Earl", and the Abbot of Tintern 7 . One of their chief 

 duties was to collect the money that was due ; for it was not con- 

 sidered wise to leave the lord's money in the hands of bailiff or 

 of reeve 8 . 



Besides these regular visitors, some half-dozen casual guests 

 might be expected at the manor yearly. Thus in 1274 came Eborard, 

 the hunter, with two men and four grey hounds and twenty-five 

 of the earl's dogs, and spent three October days at Forncett 9 . In 

 1277, just after Michaelmas, Walter de Vilers, Nicholas Peche and 

 Gilbert, falconers, came with three lads and five falcons belonging to 

 the Earl, and stayed six days 10 . At the same time Eborard, the 

 hunter, with a man and dogs, was also there 10 . Sometimes the guests 

 stopped for only one night ; lawyers journeying to Norwich on the 

 Earl's behalf 11 , itinerant bailiffs 12 on their way to Lopham 13 , grooms 

 with horses of the Earl 14 , knights and clerks travelling on the Earl's 

 business, found this a convenient resting-place 15 . 



The Earl and Countess seem to have visited Forncett at irregular 

 intervals, which would perhaps average three or four years. In the 



1 Min. Acc'ts, 935/13, 935/15. - Appendix VIII., xli. 



15 Min. Acc'ts, 935/15, Walter of Henley, ioS. 



4 Min. Acc'ts, 935/15, Walter of Henley, 126. 



1 Appendix VIII., xxxvi. Min. Acc'ts, 935/15. 



t; Rogers, A^I-'U-. and Prices, i. 165. 



7 Appendix VIII., xxxvi. For the relation of the Higods to Tintern Abbey see l)ugdalc'> 

 Monasticon Anglicamtm, v. 2^5 ft". 



s Min. Acc'ts, 935/13, 935/15. 9 Min. Acc'ls, 935/4. 



"' Min. Acc'ts, 935/5. n Min. Acc'ts, 935/1 1. 



1<J Min. Acc'ts, 935/1.;- 1; Min. Acc'ts, 935/15. 



14 Min. Acc'ts, 935/5. 15 Min. Acc'ts, 935/13, 935/16. 



