SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



In Ditton " there were six customary tenants who worked, from the 

 last day of May to i August, every Monday, Thursday, and Friday ; in 

 autumn they worked every day except Saturday, but in both seasons feast- 

 days and vigils were holidays. At Cippenham " the smaller tenants worked 

 for the lord every other day in the winter half-year, but not in Christmas, 

 Easter, and Whitsun weeks ; in summer they worked every day in the week 

 for the space of five weeks and a day. The whole list of services is very 

 characteristic of the duties inherent in servile tenure. There were many 

 customary tenants each holding a quarter, or half, or a whole virgate of land, 

 but the work was accredited to the land itself, and not to the tenant for the 

 time being, proving that the custom of the manor had undergone no altera- 

 tion for a considerable time. 



From each virgate one acre was ploughed and harrowed, both at the 

 winter and Lenten sowing time. Each virgate threshed and winnowed two 

 bushels of wheat and four bushels of oats, which were carried to the field and 

 sown. In winter the smaller tenants worked three days a week, and in 

 summer every day. 



In hay harvest one man was sent from each of the i6 virgates held by 

 twenty-five tenants to mow and make the hay of the whole manor, which, 

 it was reckoned, would take seven days. When the hay was carried each 

 virgate sent two men, probably for four days. Another 3 virgates, held by 

 four tenants, also sent two men each to carry hay for the four days. 



Thirty-four tenants, holding 2of virgates, sent one man from each 

 virgate for seventeen days to hoe. 



In autumn the twenty-five tenants, who held i6j virgates, sent two men 

 from each virgate, receiving no food from the lord, every other day from the 

 gules of August till the harvest was finished. 



In autumn boon-work was also required of the tenants. The twenty- 

 five tenants sent three men from each virgate every other day, except 

 Saturday, receiving one meal a day. 



Twelve gavelmen sent twenty-one men to reap for one day in autumn, 

 with one meal a day. 



Thirty tenants, holding 19! virgates, reaped, bound, and cocked in the 

 fields an acre of wheat and an acre of oats for each virgate. 



From harvest to Michaelmas they also worked every other day. Pre- 

 sumably the tenants did not work for the whole day for the lord as a rule, 

 for it is expressly specified that in summer and autumn after harvest they 

 were to work for the whole day, but there is no clue to the number of hours 

 that they worked at other times. 



The meal given at the boon-day is also specified, every two men receiv- 

 ing bread, beer, meat or fish, to the value of \d. each, and \d. worth of cheese. 



In 1322 and 1323" the value of each service per day is given, even of 

 the boon-work, but by no means all the tenants had commuted their services. 

 On the boon-days food was still provided, and the entry of money paid for 

 each separate work was very small ; but on the other hand the number of 

 tenants who paid an assized rent in place of all services due throughout the 

 year does not appear in the account. 



u P.R.O. Mins. Accts. bdle. 760, No. 1 8. The account it dated I* Edw. II. 

 " Ibid. No. 4. " Ibid. 



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