no THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



reverted to his lord. Hence he was practically ascriptitius 



glebes (annexed to the soil), for no one, however hardly he 

 was treated, would care to leave his all and go forth penniless 

 into the world. 



Finally, this document shows us a class of slaves, who 

 were maintained by their lord. They were either the descend- 

 ants of the conquered Britons, or men who had fallen into 

 slavery through poverty or inability to pay the fines imposed 

 on them (wite-theows). Geatfled, by her will, emancipated 

 those of her theows " who had bowed their heads for bread in 

 the evil day." 1 Such slaves were bought and sold in the 

 open market, and exported across the seas as part of the 

 commercial produce of the island, and for many years Bristol 

 was a notorious slave-market. There is only one passage in 

 Domesday Book recording market tolls ; and the toll paid 

 on the sale of a man at Lewes was 4</. In spite of their 

 vendibility, they were treated as men, and not as chattels. 

 If a slave was slain, his kinsfolk received 40^. instead of a 

 wergild, and his lord had the man-bot of 30^. 



The pre-Conquest conveyances imply that, unless the 

 estates of a church or a lay magnate were expressly ex- 

 empted, they were liable to furnish provisions for the King in 

 the same way as the gafolgelder. It would appear that, until 

 the tenth century, the estate of the Bishop of Winchester at 

 Taunton was liable to provide victual for one night for the 

 King (pastum unius noctis\ and for his hounds and kennel- 

 man and hawkers, and to provide carriage for the King's 

 household and guests to Williton and Gary ; but in 904 

 Edward the Elder released these dues to the bishop in return 

 for 60 hides of land which the bishop gave to the King. 2 



When to-day John Doe purchases the estate of White- 

 acre, it is conveyed to him subject to the rights of those 

 who occupy parts of it. The mansion-house, and the park, 

 and the sporting rights are in hand. Some farms are let on 

 1 K., 925. 2 K.> 1084 j G.M., 282. 



