A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



tenants rendered sixteen and a half lambs, thirty-three hens, and 415 eggs 

 among them. 



As to the ploughing works, the tenants at Paddington ploughed, 

 sowed and harrowed twice a year, while at Greenford the free tenants 

 ploughed one acre, except one of them who ploughed two ; one foi 

 wheat and one for oats ; and even a third if exacted by the lord. This 

 tenant and another defended the manor in the county and hundred 

 courts. Four acres to plough and three to harrow was the allowance 

 at Teddington ; two acres for every half virgate at Sutton ; at Drayton 

 one acre for each holding. The tenants at Isleworth in the time of 

 Edward III ploughed half an acre for each half virgate, fetching and 

 carrying the seed, and received zd. for every acre ploughed. 



No weekly services are mentioned either at Paddington or at 

 Drayton ; at Isleworth they are confined to the holders of Werk and 

 Akerlonds, and at Sutton to the operarii. The custumers at 

 Teddington rendered three works in every fortnight Monday and 

 Friday one week, Wednesday the next except from Midsummer to 

 autumn, when they did only one weekly work, and during the six 

 autumn weeks, when they rendered three days in each week. At Green- 

 ford they did five works in each month, except during the autumn 

 weeks, when an extra day in the week was required. At Hayes and 

 Kensington one day a week all the year round was exacted, with a 

 second between i August and Michaelmas. 



No weekly works are mentioned in an extent of the manor of Edge- 

 ware in the year iz^6. m There the majority of virgaters paid a money 

 rent of 5.;. i \\d., and rendered works valued at is. 6d.: namely, four men 

 to reap in autumn, one at their own and three at the lord's expense ; one 

 day's carting at the lord's expense, and two half-days' binding sheaves ; 

 two half-days' weeding, one half-day's harrowing, and a half-day's fencing, 

 and four carrying works (averagia). The rent of the half- virgate holdings 

 was a/. iij</., and their works were worth 9!^., as they sent four men 

 (three ad cibum domini] to reap instead of five, did only half-a-day's carting 

 and no averagia. All the tenants had to mow the meadow (6J acre? 

 i rod) among them. 



The extra works were heaviest at Greenford, where they included 

 besides two days each at harrowing, weeding and thrashing, the hay 

 harvest of two meadows, a day's carting after the autumn precariae and 

 half a day's fencing in Easter or Whit-week. At Drayton and Sutton 

 the two ' firme ' which each manor rendered in kind for the canons' table 

 at St. Paul's had to be carried to London by the tenants, besides the 

 usual weeding, thrashing, and carting wood and manures. Washing and 

 shearing sheep was another extra service, sometimes performed by the 

 cottars, sometimes by particular custumers. The harvest of one and 

 sometimes two meadows had to be completed by the tenants on all the 

 manors. At Teddington the hay-makers received from the lord a 

 dignarium, at Paddington ijd. and a cheese worth 4^. ; while at Drayton 



171 P.R.O. Rentals and Surv. rot. 439 (5 Edw. I). 

 70 



