SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



and cotariv — the cotset's holding was 4 acres, that of the cottar consisted 

 only of a house and curtilage/'* 



The real distinction between the various ranks of customary tenants, 

 however, was probably between the comparatively substantial holder of 

 from 1 5 to 30 acres of land and the variously classified tenants of 8 acres 

 or less. The virgatarii and semi-virgatarii were probably very near the 

 borderland of freedom and practically on the same footing as the village 

 priest — he indeed was free by virtue of his orders, but in the Shaftesbury 

 Abbey Custumal, quoted above, he occurs certainly once among the list of 

 virgate-holders, who owed three days' work a week in winter, and heavy 

 August work.''* 



The virgatarii and semi-virgatarii^ moreover, were probably in some 

 cases at least employers of labour, for at Wyke, Kingston Lacy, and Shap- 

 wick, though their holdings were larger than those of thefardelli, akermen, or 

 coterells, and must have employed more labour, they nevertheless were bound 

 to do more work on the lord's demesne, so that they must have required to 

 hire men either for the cultivation of their own holdings, or to perform 

 their customary services. Thus at Shapwick, while the larger tenants owed 

 three works a week from Michaelmas to the Feast of the Nativity of 

 St. John the Baptist, the coterells were only required to do six winter 

 works in the year,^^ the summer works being alike for all the tenants on 

 this manor as elsewhere in the county. ^° Similarly at Kingston Lacy the 

 carters and daywyns owed one work each week throughout the autumn and 

 winter, whereas the forehors, akermen, and smalemen apparently owed summer 

 works only," and at Wyke the virgate-holders had to send four men each, 

 the half-virgate holders two men each, and the fardelli one man each to 

 the three annual ' Bedereppes.' ^' 



The very small holders on the other hand were probably themselves 

 labourers, their own land being cultivated in their spare time much as the 

 modern labourer may cultivate his allotment. On the Shaftesbury manors 

 it was certainly from the ranks of the cottars and cotsets that the shepherd, 

 cowherds, dairyman, and blacksmith were drawn." At Cheselbourne each 

 of these servants had 5 acres quit of all dues except the royal geld, and was 

 entitled to keep one animal in the pasture. Both here and at Iwerne Minster 

 they appear to have been allowed a whole holiday on Saturday '° in the 

 ploughing season until their own land was ploughed, and at Handley the 



" Harl. MS. 61, fol. 651^., Sd. A distinction between the cotset and cottar seems to be made also 

 in the Domesday Survey of the county — the former being of higher rank than the latter ; cf. Maitland, 

 Domesday Bk. and Beyond, 39. 



" Harl. MS. 61, fol. \\d. " Mins. Accts. (Duchy of Lane), 1 1045, 1 1049. 



"> Cf. ibid. 1 1040 and Harl. MS. 61, fol. 44.3'. 



" Mins. Accts. (Duchy of Lane), 1 1040. " Ibid. (Gen. Ser.), bdle. 834, No. 31. 



" Harl. MS. 61, fol. 44a'., 46, 56. 



'° From one point of view Sunday would appear to have been regarded as a holiday in mediaeval 

 Dorset, that is to say, it is evidently reckoned amongst the festivals, which together with Saturdays were 

 not regarded as working days on those manors where the customary tenants were bound to work every 

 day in the week from Midsummer Day or i August (as the case might be) until Michaelmas Day [e.g. Mins. 

 Accts. (Gen. Ser.), bdle. 834, No. 31 ; and ibid. (Duchy of Lane), Nos. 1 1040, I 1045, I 1049]. 

 Apparently, however, it was a popular day for the holding of markets and fairs (cf. Hutchins, Hist, of Dorset, 

 iii, 233, 256; and Assize R. 201, m. 5 </., 06, m. \\d^, though these may very probably have been 

 regarded as occasions of festivity. This can hardly have been the case with the sessions of the justices in 

 eyre (cf Assize R. 206, m. lo,/.), but possibly the jurors did not object to sacrificing their holiday in order 

 to bring the seneschal of the earl of Lincoln to justice. 



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