166 FORMS OF LAND TENURE. 



Norman hands. Domesday Book shews this. At all events, 

 upon the establishment of the Feudal system, it was assumed 

 that the whole of the lands were in the hands of the king, either 

 as Eoyal Demesne, or held of him in Fee by vassals of the 

 Crown, or by others under them. But from the beginning 

 the vassals in this country would seem to have possessed an 

 hereditary title to their fiefs, and consequently those feelings of 

 gratitude and dependence to which we have alluded as animating 

 the vassals of an earlier age and different country in their 

 feelings towards their lords, did not exist in England in 

 mediaeval times ; nevertheless a strong sense of honour, amount- 

 ing almost to a religious principle, supplied its place, and this 

 feeling was fostered by oaths and ceremonies. 



We have, so far, been referring to Knight's service proper, 

 which was to attend the King in his wars, but there was another 

 species of tenure, of a free and honourable character, which we 

 should briefly notice. This was the tenure of Grand Sergeanty. 

 Under this tenure the tenant held in capite, but instead of 

 serving the king generally in his wars, he was bound to do some 

 honorary service to the king in person, viz. : to carry his banner 

 or his sword, to hold his stirrup, to serve him with the cup at 

 his coronation or the like. The manor of Oabillia, in Cornwall, 

 was held in grand seargeanty by the service of meeting the 

 King at Poulstone Bridge, on his coming into Cornwall, and 

 attending him with a grey cape. 



In most other respects this service was like knight's service, 

 though the tenant was not bound to pay aid or escuage, and 

 when the tenant by knight's service paid 100' for a relief on 

 every knight's fee, the tenant in grand sergeanty paid one year's 

 value of his land. 



England is said to have been divided into about 60,000 

 knights' fees, but of the exact number created by William in 

 Cornwall we have no accurate knowledge. Few of them, 

 however, were held in capite, as we shall see as we proceed. 

 Upon his brother, Eobert Earl of Moreton, the Conqueror 

 bestowed 248 manors in the county. These Fees, for centuries 

 afterwards, continued to be designated as Fees of Moreton, and 

 being small fees, they were assessed to Aids, &c., at a lower 



