i26 THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



and bail was given so that the dispute could be settled later. 1 

 In some cases it would seem that the lord had a heriot at the 

 death of his man ; 907 burgesses of Thetford had liberty of 

 commendation, but all their dues remained to the King except 

 heriot ; 2 obviously their lord would receive their heriot, but 

 their soke belonged to the King. On the other hand, from 

 the sokeman of Stamford, who had liberty of commendation, 

 the King received both forfeitures and heriot. 3 So that the 

 point cannot be regarded as settled. There are two cases in 

 which it is stated that men could sell their land on paying 

 two shillings to the lord to whom they had commended them- 

 selves ; 4 but it would be unsafe to deduce a general rule from 

 these two examples. 



There was, however, a species of commendation in which, 

 as at Esher, the commendor surrendered his land to his lord ; 

 but that it was possible for a man to retain his land in spite of 

 commendation is clear from an Essex record, " Serlo made 

 himself the man of the predecessor of Ralph Piperell, but did 

 not give his land." 5 



When a commendor thus surrendered his land, he was 

 said to send it into the manor or the Church, to the lord 

 or abbot of which he commended himself, and on its re- 

 grant to him the terms of the tenure were often altered : 

 " Edmund the priest, who was commended to St. Etheldreda, 

 held Brantestun T. R. E., and the land which he received with 

 his wife he sent into the Church, with an agreement (tali con- 

 ventione) that he could not sell or give it away from the 

 Church." 6 



The Suffolk Domesday shows that there could be partial 

 commendation and sub-commendation. 



" Middleton was held by Munulf T. R. E. Half his commendation 

 belonged to the predecessor of Earl Hugh, and half to the predecessor 

 of Robert Malet. In the same vill were six freemen. Brunwin was 



1 D. B., II. 208. 2 id., II. 119. 3 id., I. 336 b 2. 



4 Id., II. 207, 278 b. 5 id., II. 71 b. 6 Id., II. 431 b. 



