A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



About the end of the i 3th century, then, it seems safe to say that most 

 of the Hertfordshire lords were receiving rent and autumn services and minor 

 dues from their villeins. This implies the hiring of some regular farm 

 labour from Michaelmas to the end of July ; but during the harvest months 

 the villeins w^ould still come more or less willingly to the lord's demesne 

 strips and meadows. But the steward was often willing to take money in lieu 

 of the harvest work ; and from the beginning of the 14th century an 

 opportunist commutation of the harvest work set in. The steward 

 would sell the autumn works to the custumaries, if both parties wished it. 

 Thus at Langley in 1307—8 the custumaries paid 68j, \d. for their autumn 

 works and loj. <^d. for their three boondays.'" As the lord's autumn expenses 

 were 76/. li^.," he made a profit. In 13 12— 13 the custumaries performed 

 their autumn boonday, but redeemed their reaping (which the steward notes 

 as unusual), besides their threshing and other autumn works. ^'' In 13 16—17, 

 after the year of disaster, the villeins bought very few autumn works,'' and 

 in 1324 some did the boonday and most redeemed their harrowing, but only 

 two and a half reapings were sold, while thirty-eight men came in person to 

 reap.'* 



The custumaries of Temple Dinsley seem to have bought up all their 

 harvest works, except the ploughing custom, in 13 12- 13.'' At Stevenage, 

 in 1308, the custumaries and the cotters reaped 293 acres, against 33 acres 

 reaped by hired labourers ; but the threshers were hired, and 806 harvest 

 works were sold." 



Later the commutation of the harvest works became more complete 

 and more regular. In 1338-9 the threshing, reaping, binding and hoeing 

 were all done by hired labour," and at Ashwell, about the same time, the 

 villeins only did the hoeing and stacking of the hay.'* Standon was still 

 exceptional. In i 347 the custumaries were still doing two weekly works, 

 reaping, mowing and ploughing, and there were two who did one work a 

 week." 



Thus long before the Black Death agricultural labour was undergoing 

 a change. 



A class of hired labourers was growing up, whose mere existence told 

 against the continuance of labour service on the demesne. When times were 

 not too hard both the lord and the villein found their interest in commutation. 

 It was prosperity that was lifting the Hertfordshire villein. There are 

 certain rather vague indications of this, besides the facts of commutation. 

 The activity of the villeinage in letting, transferring and acquiring land is 

 witnessed by the Court Rolls.*" The same impression is given by the rolls 

 of Codicote from the time of Henry III to that of Edward II," in the 

 rolls of Croxley,*^ of Ashwell,*' and indeed in all those inspected. These 

 transactions in land cost money, and could not have been indulged in unless 

 they brought profit. One may almost say that there was some competition 



30 Mins. Accts. bdle. 866, no. 17. "Ibid. '^ Ibid. no. 19. 'Mbid. no. 21. 



"Ibid. no. 29. 35 Ibid. bdle. 865, no. 13. ^6 jbid. bdle. 870, no. zo. 



^^ Ibid. bdle. 866, no. 5. ^ Ibid. bdle. 862, no. 6. 39 Ibid. bdle. 869, no. 8. 



*" One Abbot of St. Albans (1260-90) attempted to enforce forfeiture of the purchase on villeins buying 

 free land ; of course this came to mean merely a fine (Walsingham, op. cit. i, 453) 

 " Stowe MS. 849. ^2 Add. MS. 6057. 



*3 Ct. R. (Gen. Ser.), portf. 176, no. 127. 



184 



