A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



where they were bidden with a horse," services characterized by a degree of 

 uncertainty usually associated with the lowest forms of tenure. 



Nor is it any easier to generalize as to the minimum amount of service 

 incumbent upon the various classes of customary tenants in the thirteenth 

 century. On the one hand we have evidence which would seem to point 

 towards a movement in favour of the definition of villein services properly so 

 called, while the services of the cottars remained servile and uncertain 

 possibly even became more so as the serfs were merged in their ranks. On 

 the other hand there are cases of almost complete freedom amongst the 

 cottars, which would seem to point to the smallness of their holdings as being 

 the only respect in which they could be regarded as inferior to the highest 

 ranks of customary tenants. 



Thus at Alciston, in the reign of Edward I, there were four cottars, 

 each of whom owed at the feast of St. Thomas 1 2d. and from Michaelmas to 

 hoeing time two works a week on Monday and Friday, as well as threshing 

 and breaking clods, and spreading hay when necessary. At Christmas each 

 was bound to carry to Battle twelve hens, and at Easter two hundred and fifty 

 eggs, but was quit of work on the twelve days of the feast of the Nativity, and 

 from Good Friday to the octave of Easter. Each must reap as long as there 

 was anything to reap, and at sheep-shearing time they must all be present to 

 collect the sheep and drive them to the water and gather the wool. Through- 

 out the hay and wheat harvest each must find one man to spread and collect 

 the hay and to make the cocks. 62 At Appledram there were nine ' greater ' 

 cottars each holding four acres ; these were bound over and above services 

 owed on three boondays to do three works whatever they were told every 

 week from the feast of St. Matthew (21 September) to the feast of St. Peter 

 ad Vincula (i August), except in Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun weeks, 

 when they need not work except to thresh food for the beasts if necessary. 

 From i August to 21 September they had to do whatever they were told 

 every day of the week except Saturday. The exact amount of various kinds 

 of labour which constituted one work is specified, thus they must thresh 

 i 'werkhop' that is 2\ bushels of hard grain, or 2 ' werkhops' of barley, 

 or they must collect 50 sheaves (keeping one for themselves) and so on, and 

 any one who possessed a cow must mow an acre of hay and bind it. 63 The 

 burdensome and uncertain nature of these services is obvious, and at Westdean, 

 Singleton, and Charlton the valuation of customs and services of the cottars is 

 considerable. 6 * At Pulborough, on the other hand, there were two cottars at 

 least who owed nothing beyond rent, and the works of the other seven were 

 only worth 6d. each, 65 while at Barnhorne there were eighteen coterells, most 

 of whom held at a rent heriot ' relief ' and suit of court. 66 



The Battle custumal, which seems to illustrate the depression of the 

 cottar, also affords the best instances of the movement towards the definition 



51 Chrm. Mm. de Bella (Angl. Christ. Soc.), 1 7. 



41 Custumals of Battle Abbey (Camd. Soc.), 30. M Ibid. 53-7 



51 Chan. Inq. p.m., Hen. Ill, file 42 (5) ; at Westdean, 9 cotarii 6$s. %d. ; at Singleton, 13 cotarii 

 4 is. %d. ; and at Charlton, 13 cotarii 78;. " Ibid, file 28, No. 17. 



" Custumals of Battle Abbey (Camd. Soc.), 20. The word ' relief is used here, and frequently in the 

 court rolls (e.g. Add. Ct. R. 32610, 32613, 31887), with reference to unfree holdings, where the expres- 

 sion ' fine for entry ' would be more correct. At Warding at least the use of the word in this connexion may 

 have been due to the influence of the very small military tenures which owed castle-ward rents, but which, 

 as far as their size was concerned, differed but little from many of the villein holdings. 



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