SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



water-bedrippe, the Great Precaria, and a third and very ill-named love- 

 bedrippe, for it was a never-ending source of contention between the 

 lord and his tenants. Every tenant had to attend the first boon day, 

 when summoned by the crier, coming at the hour of prime with all his 

 servants and tenants, and working till vespers. At noon every thirteen 

 reapers received three loaves made from one bushel of corn. To the 

 great bedrippe all the free and villein tenants and cottars were sum- 

 moned to reap from prime until vespers at the lord's cost. After the 

 day's work they had a supper in the hall, consisting of broth of peas or 

 beans, bread, cheese and beer in sufficient quantity, and a dish of meat 

 or fish to the value of \\d. for every two men. Those who were tired 

 out (gravatt) by their task and could not sup with the others might 

 carry their portions home with them. The superintendents of the 

 reapers had beer in the hall at noon as well. They were responsible 

 for any damage accruing from bad work. 



For the third or love-bedrippe every tenant had to provide one 

 man to bind the corn from prime ; one meal in the hall being provided 

 for each man. All villein tenants who had carts or wagons must 

 carry three loads to the grange, without food or drink, and their horses 

 must not eat of the sheaves. If any tenant worked otherwhere than in 

 the lord's fields on the days of the first two bedrippes he was in the lord's 

 mercy. After the wheat was carried the animals of the vill commoned 

 on the fields. 



Except the free tenants and the cottars all must provide one man 

 to weed and one to clean the ponds (riperia) every three years, receiving 

 one meal each of bread, cheese and beer, and a dish of meat or fish 

 for every two men. 



Every hide of bond-land must fence one perch every three years 

 right round the manor, each tenant fetching the pales from the manor 

 and fencing in proportion to the amount of his holding. The only 

 week work done on the manor is by seven tenants who render two 

 days a week from Michaelmas to Martinmas, four of the holdings 

 rendering twelve, and two six days ; the seventh is quit of his works. 

 A later compotus states that they must do any kind of work which the 

 reeve may impose on them. 



All the native tenants and the tenants of the freemen whose 

 holdings border on the woods have a right to wood and pannage, and 

 whether there be mast in the wood or no they must pay for pannage 

 id. on every pig over a year old and \d. on all younger. All the 

 villeins must bring their pigs to the court at Martinmas and pay their 

 pannage, and if the lord be in doubt as to the age of any pig its owner 

 is to be quit on oath and for \\d. The lord is bound to provide a herd 

 to watch the pigs while they are in the woods and to bring them home. 



Every tenant in Harmondsworth and Ruislip, man or woman, bond 

 or free, owes at his or her death a heriot of the best beast on the holding, 

 and on changing hands the holding must be redeemed by a fine at the 

 lord's discretion. No bondage tenant may marry son or daughter within 



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