A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



irksome, especially in the hard times about 13 15." The impost was at tht 

 will of the lord, and must have been levied on the whole estate of the 

 villein, both personal and real, for about 1326 the men of Redbourn were 

 assessed to a tallage ; each villein holding half a virgate paid sums varying from 

 I id. to 6j-. 8d'/^ The remaining villeins paid from bd. to \od. This arbitrary 

 assessment raised a rebellion among the tenants, who offered a composition of 

 40J., which the abbot refused. The villeins thereupon forged a charter pur- 

 porting to be of pre-Conquest date, but with a natural ingenuousness worded 

 it in their own English.^ This charter did not help them, for they were 

 tallaged again soon after, and forced, first to recognize that they were villeins 

 and tallageable, and then to pay the tax." 



Cases of fugitive villeins are not very rare even in the i 3th century, for 

 as commutation for services increased there was less necessity to bind the 

 tenant to the soil. In one court at Codicote in October 1239 there is 

 entered zs. ' of a fugitive,' and i lb. of pepper paid by a villein for permission 

 to live outside the lord's liberty." At Tyttenhanger in 1267 'Robert son of 

 Robert Adger, native of the lord, remains at London, and William his brother 

 at St. Albans, John son of Stephen is at London or elsewhere, Stephen son 

 of Henry the Porter at London, Philip his brother near Staines.' °' Cases 

 occur in which the villein fled cum omni sequela sua.^'' About the same time 

 similar instances are to be found at Codicote,"' but they become more numer- 

 ous after about 1330. In 1331 the wife of one fugitive paid izd. to hold 

 her husband's lands,"' and John Haleward gave six capons for licence to go 

 to the 'clerical schools.'™ In 1335 Robert the Smith took licence to serve 

 where he would for the next twelve years." In 1340 Hugh de Thickenhay 

 having fled, his wife took his lands, although they were waste. 



The value of arable land in Hertfordshire changed very little from the 

 middle of the 13th to the middle of the 14th century. The values given 

 are drawn from the demesne estates, on which the valuations are probably 

 nearer to the economic worth than those of tenant land. Position and the 

 nature of the soil must, doubtless, have had some influence on the value, but 

 this is not very marked, and it is of interest to note that the values of the 

 13th century show more variation than those given after 13 15. In 131 3 

 arable was worth 6d. an acre, both in Hormead^^ and in King's Walden." 

 In the north of the county at Standon the acre was worth 6d. in 1263 ''* and 

 \d. at Hitchin in 1268." Between 1280 and 1290 the value was 3^. at 

 (Little) Gaddesden and Wigginton" (the lowest rate mentioned) and 6d. at 

 Wyddial." It was 4^/. at Stevenage in 1275.^' The zone of high prices 

 extends from Sawbridgeworth to Langley. In 1276 some of the arable at 

 Shenley was worth 6d. an acre." Inizgi 380 acres were still worth 6d., and 

 450 acres at Langley ^d. each.*" At Sawbridgeworth the acre was worth 

 8^." (the highest sum met with in the county), and in 1302—3 the arable 

 of Pishobury, in the same vill, was valued at 6d. to %d. an acre.** But apart 



'^ cf. the agitation against tallage. ^^ Walsingham, op. cit. ii, 263. ^ Ibid. 262. 



" Ibid. 263. 65 Stowe MS. 849. 6« Caledon D. Ct. R. Tyttenlianger. 



^ Ibid. ^ Stowe MS. 849. «9 Ibid. ™ Ibid. ^i ibid. 



"2 Chan. Inq. p.m. 7 Edw. II, no. 26. " Ibid. ^^ Ibid. Hen. Ill, file 27, no. 5. 



" Ibid. 53 Hen. Ill, no. 43. ^« Ibid- Edw. I, file 38, no. 8. " Ibid. no. 4. 



^ Ibid. 3 Edw. I, no. 10. ^9 Rentals and Surv. R. 296. «" n,ia. R. 279. 



*i Chan. Inq. p.m. Hen. Ill, file 29, no. 9, m. 2. ^ Rentals and Surv. portf. 8, no. 43. 



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