i2 4 THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



" Thorley (Herts). Edzi, a man of (i.e. commended to) Coded, 

 had liberty of commendation, and paid twopence a year to the 

 Sheriff." l 



" Sutreshele, Libury (Herts). Two men of Earl Leofwin, holding 

 de soca regis, with liberty of commendation, found one carrying 

 service for the King's Sheriff, or $^d. a year." 2 



" Clothall (Herts). Three men of Archbishop Stigand, who 

 could sell, rendered nd. a year to the sheriff." 3 



The last three instances are cases of men with liberty of 

 commendation, who had exercised that liberty and had com- 

 mended themselves to local magnates ; but such commenda- 

 tion did not interfere with their soke, with the right to their 

 services, which were still received by the King. 



What, then, was commendation ? As far as can be ascer- 

 tained, it was merely a personal bond between one man and 

 another the humbler man commended himself to a local 

 magnate, and thereby received his protection. There are 

 many cases in Domesday Book where this reason for com- 

 mendation is expressly stated. 



" At Esher (Surrey) one man and two women, who could turn 

 themselves where they would, submitted themselves with their land 

 to the Abbey of Chertsey for their defence." 4 



The man who had thus commended himself to another 

 was known as the man of that other, and parallel passages in 

 the Cambridgeshire Inquest and the Exchequer Domesday 

 show that he was also sometimes said to be under (sub) that 

 other. Professor Maitland quotes the Anglo-Saxon oath of 

 fealty 



" The swearer puts his hands between the hands of his lord, and 

 promises to be faithful and true to his lord, to love all that his lord 

 loves, and eschew all that his lord eschews ... on condition that 

 his lord treats him according to his deserts, and according to the 

 covenant that has been established between them." 5 



1 D. B., I. 134 a i. 2 Id., I. 134 a 2. 3 Id., I. 134 b I. 



4 Id., I. 32 b i. 5 D. B. andB., 69. 



