CHAPTER III. 



THE DEMESNE. 1376-78. 



Tin-; records dating from between 1307 and 1376 are not suf- 

 ficiently abundant to enable us to reconstruct the history of that 

 period, but light is thrown on the years 1376-78 by two Account 

 Rolls that have fortunately been preserved 1 . 



It has been seen that during the thirty- five years from 1272 

 to 1306, few changes occurred in the manorial organization and 

 management; but within the seventy years between 1306 and 1376 

 the organization of the manor and the administration of the demesne 

 were revolutionized. 



In the court-yard, as at the beginning of the century, stood 

 the demesne buildings. By 1376 some had fallen to decay 2 , but 

 in the two years now under consideration considerable activity was 

 shown in the erection and repair of buildings. Thus a stable and 

 cowhouse, eighty- four feet long 3 , and a chamber for the steward 4 , 

 besides gates and walls 4 , were newly constructed. The hall 4 , ward- 

 robe 4 , kitchen 4 , dairy 4 , hay-house 4 , grange 3 ' 4 , stables 4 , and gate-house 4 , 

 as well as the mill 3 , which, unlike most of the demesne buildings, 

 stood outside the court-yard, were repaired. A 'chamber called the 

 wardrobe ' was moved from the hall and placed next to the steward's 

 chamber 4 . 



As in the earlier period, the work of building and repair was 

 performed by hired labourers assisted by the customary tenants 5 . 

 vThe houses seem to have been built of about the same materials 

 as before ; the court-yard was partly inclosed by clay walls 6 , and 

 partly by ditches and dead hedges 7 . 



But though it is possible that no very great change had occurred 

 since the beginning of the century in the appearance of the buildings 



1 Printed as Appendix IX. 2 Appendix IX. 1. 



8 Appendix IX. Iv. 4 Appendix IX. Ivi. 



5 Appendix IX. Iv., Ivi., Ixii., Ixiii. 6 Appendix IX. Ivi., Ixiii. 

 7 Appendix IX. Ixiii. 



D. 4. 



