SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



In these places all the custumaries seem to have achieved the same 

 degree of commutation. But the process went on by individual agreement 

 with the lord, as well as by the arrangement of the whole vill. At Codi- 

 cote, a manor of St. Albans, the reeve came into court in May 1 247 and 

 paid IS. gersuma for 9 acres, for which he was to pay '>^od. at the four terms 

 of the year for the ' works which used to be done for it, viz. one work in 

 each week ' ; the commutation was to be at the will of the cellarer.'' The 

 reeve did not immediately find many imitators,'* but forty years later the 

 community was awake to the advantages of commutation. 



In 1 248 at Tyttenhanger (which belonged to the same church) T. Baker 

 took b\ acres at a rent oi zod. for all service, except one man for the great 

 boonday.'^ 



From Codicote comes an instance of commutation £>« w^jj^-. In 1293 

 the whole vill granted to the lord that it would do the two usual boondays at 

 Bradeway, as it did in the land of Cisseverne, for which they had before agreed 

 to give certain money ; during the term of the lord abbot the payment should 

 cease, but afterwards the money was to be paid again, as had been agreed." 

 This case speaks for itself, but it is not a very common one. 



The ordinary services were still only partially commuted forty years 

 later. In many courts, between 1330 and 1336, villeins came to obtain a 

 verdict, apportioning the due service on lands acquired." These were generally 

 small pieces and plots, fractions of a former tenement, and most carried rent 

 and a few outstanding services. 



Below complete commutation and the commutation of week work ij 

 the stage where the works of the villeins are valued in money. How much 

 actual service this covers is often uncertain. At Newsells in 1239 the villein 

 customs were worth 1 2 marks, their hens and eggs 3J-.""^° We may feel sure 

 that the hens and eggs were actually rendered into the reeve's hands, but such 

 certainty does not extend to the works. 



At Hunsdon, ten years later, the customary works were worth 44^, 2^." 

 In 1262 the works at Meesden were valued at 20J. 8^. from 29 September 

 to I August ; during August and September at ibs^'^ At Sacombe, as late as 

 1282, the customs, pannage, cocks and hens are valued.^' 



Finally come the instances where the services remained uncommuted. 

 At Therfield they may well have been the same in 1 1 7 1 as they were in 

 1271.^* Possibly this case is due to the absence of the lord and the 

 remoteness of the village. At Wyddial, in 1284, the custumaries did 488 

 works between 29 September and i August and 120 works in the remaining 

 eight weeks.'* Much later, in 1324, the services at Watton are detailed in 

 a way that suggests that they were performed.^" At Walker n, in 1313, 

 ploughing and 960 works and 240 autumn works were due.^'' At Greenbury 

 in 1325 the jury gave a full account in court of the customary works done.^^ 

 In 1 341 the four custumaries at Reed still appear to have been doing their 

 weekly works.*^' 



18 Stowe MS. 849, under date quoted. i* Ibid. ^^ Caledon D. Ct. R. Tyttenhanger. 



16 Stowe MS. 849, under date quoted. " Ibid. 18-20 cha„_ jnq. p.m. Hen. Ill, file 8, no. 12. 



»i Ibid. 33 Hen. Ill, no. 70. 22 Yb^^ Hen. Ill, file 27, no. 20. 23 ibid. 1 1 Edw. I, no. 49. 



2* Chart. Ramsey Abbey (Rolls Ser.), i, 45-8. ^^ Chan. Inq. p.m. Edw. I, file 38, no. 4. 



26 Ibid. 17 Edw. II, no. 39. »' Ibid. 6 Edw. II, no. 58. 



2" Ct. R. (Gen. Ser.), portf. 177, no. 33. ^9 Chan. Inq. p.m. Edw. Ill, file 64, no. 20. 



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