A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



These self-governing powers of the villeinage must not, however, be 

 exaggerated. Over all matters from which he could derive profit the lord 

 kept a tight hand by means of the various manorial officials. Some of 

 these, such as the reeve or the woodward, 1 were, it is true, elective, but 

 the privilege seems to have been little appreciated. This was due probably to 

 the expenditure of time which the duties involved, to the odium incurred by 

 carrying out the lord's commands upon a man's own fellows in the village, 

 and to the fact that, by accumulation of precedent, the tenure of such offices 

 was held equivalent to a confession of villein status. A villein was generally 

 chosen as reeve : therefore, it was argued, a reeve must be a villein. Thus 

 at Bisley in 1400 the steward ordered the homage to choose a reeve to serve 

 the lord, and the freemen of the manor alleged that by ancient custom the 

 reeve must be of villein blood. The steward made no objection, but the 

 dubious character of the theory is shown by the fact that both free and bond 

 shared in the election. 8 The mock officers still elected by some villages, such 

 as the ' Mayor of Randwick,' may point to some ancient rights of election 

 among the tenants of such manors. Ale-tasters, whose duty it was to inspect 

 the measure and quality of the manorial ale, were also usually elected. 8 

 Above these elective officials, however, were the actual servants of the lord, 

 such as the bailiff", who superintended the work on the manor ; the reaper, 

 who performed most of the attachments necessary to bring up offenders ; the 

 grainger, who was answerable for the corn ; and the head steward, who 

 probably supervised all manors of the lord, passing from one to another, 

 and checking the accounts of the local officers. At Bisley (1548) there were 

 also overseers called ' ryders,' to whom, apparently, the tenants had to 

 present accounts of 'theyrwood that they did fell, accordyng to the custom.'* 

 (These may have resembled the tenants of Gloucester Abbey, who held their 

 land by a riding service, see infra, p. i 38.) Sometimes, too, there was a reeve 

 appointed by the lord, besides the one chosen by the tenants, as on the very 

 occasion quoted above at Bisley. 6 The authority of these seignorial repre- 

 sentatives was strictly upheld. Thus Thomas Rolf of Cheltenham was dis- 

 trained (1333) for falsely defaming the bailiff and ministers of the lord, when 

 exacting an amercement from him, 8 and at Hawkesbury, in an amusing 

 instance, all the officials seemed to need the support of the lord. The 

 tithing-man (1292), Robert Greiway, and his neighbours said that, 'John 

 de la Purye, on such a day, drove his horse through the corn ; that Walter, 

 Sir John de Meise's servant, came and demanded of him whether he intended 

 to trespass in the lord's meadow. John replied, " You shall soon see," and 

 pushed down part of the wall of the meadow. Whereon the tithing-man 

 and the reaper were sworn to attach John's beasts, but John came and 

 removed them from the lord's park, without the bailiff's leave.' 7 That 

 the office of grainger or bailiff was no sinecure is shown by the elaborate 

 accounts, which are still preserved among the 'ministers' accounts' of 

 Gloucestershire. Not a horse could be sold, a sheep be worried by dogs, 

 or a bushel of seed be bought without a corresponding entry on the account 



1 e.g. Woodwards of Bisrugge, Tymbercombe and Okerugge, woods on Bisley manor (Edw. Ill and 

 Ric. II.). Ct. R. portf. 175, Nos. 7 and 8. ' Ct. R. portf. 175, No. 9, m. I. 



* e.g. at Cheltenham, 1416. Ct. R. portf. 175, No. 26, m. 5. 



* Ct. R. portf. 175, No. 12, m. 2. 5 Ibid. No. 9, m. i. 



' Ibid. No. 25, m. 9. ' Ibid. No. 41, m. 5-6. 



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