A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



21 virgates, their money rents amounting to 2 I 9- r - 4i^ an d there 

 were two cottars.* 



According to a Westminster Abbey custumal, in the reign of 

 Henry III there were at Teddington five free tenants holding among 

 them 10 virgates, and 15 custumary tenants holding i6j virgates, besides 

 five cottars whose holdings varied from i to 6 acres. Of the three other 

 manors in the custumal, free tenants are mentioned on one only, Green- 

 ford. At Hayes and Paddington there appear to have been only custu- 

 mers. 6 The survey of the St. Paul's manors of Drayton and Sutton in 

 1222 does not specify the status of the tenants, distinguishing only at 

 Drayton twenty-nine tenants of demesne land and twenty-four of terra 

 assiza. The demesne tenants have mostly small holdings, some paying 

 money rents only, while some are posita ad operatlonem. The holdings of 

 assized land are larger ; one is a whole hide, two are half hides. 

 There is one of 2 virgates, twelve of i virgate, and eight half virgates. 

 The tenants all pay rents, generally at the rate of 4^. for a virgate, and 

 render various services, but no week work. 6 A Drayton court roll of 

 the time of Richard II in the library of St. Paul's cathedral mentions 

 free tenants on the manor. In 1276-7 there is mention of seven free 

 tenants on the manor of Edgeware.* 3 



At Sutton there are three categories of tenants : seven demesne 

 tenants who hold small tenements for rents and services ; thirty-two 

 tenants of assize land, one holding 3 virgates, four i virgate, ten half 

 a virgate, and seventeen with smaller holdings. They hold at a variety of 

 rents and services, some paying malt-silver (\d. to 5^.), and giving 8//. or 

 \od. de dono as well, and two paying id. ward-penny. Some of these hold- 

 ings are in the hands of demesne tenants. Thirdly, there are eight 

 operarii who hold 5 acres each, for weekly and boon works, paying no 

 rent, but giving ^d. de dono, and 2j malt-silver. Two of them, who hold 

 assart lands as well as their 5 acres, pay rent only for them. 7 



The number of free tenants at Isleworth varies somewhat. In the 

 time of Edward I there were four free and twenty custumary cottars, 8 

 while in 1315-16 nine free tenants superintended the mowing and 

 reaping. 8 " A rental of the parsonage ' in the reign of Edward III 

 enumerates nineteen free tenants, and a minister's account of the same 

 reign mentions thirty-seven free virgaters. 9a According to a custumal 

 quoted in the Historical Manuscripts' Commissioners' Report on the 

 manuscripts at Syon House, there were also burgenses who held per cartam, 

 and some of the free tenants were tallageable. 10 At Fulham by the 

 reign of Richard II, at Stepney by the time of Edward III, and by 

 the same reign at Kempton, where they are expressly stated to hold 

 by socage tenure, the existence of free tenants is recorded. 11 Lastly, at 



4 P.R.O. Inq. p.m. Hen. Ill, No. 26. * B.M. Add. Chart. 8139. 



' Domesday of St. Parts (Camd. Soc.). P.R.O. Rentals and Surv. 5 Edw. I, rot. 30; 



' Domesday of St. Paul's, 1222 Surv. of Sutton. P.R.O. Inq. 28 Edw. I, No. 44 



P.R.O. Mins. Accts. bdle. 916, No. 12 (8-9, Edw. II.) P.R.O. Rental, ptfo. 1 1, No. 26. 



P.R.O. Mins. Accts. bdle. 916, No. 17. Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vi, App. 232. 



11 P.R.O. Ct. R. bdle. 191, No. 60 ; bdle. 191, No. 41 ; bdle. 188, No. 65. 



62 



