A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



withdrew thirty men from one boonday, Richard atte Chapel six men, 

 J. Pope seven, J. Cropin six, R. Shepherd three and J. Derham sixteen.*" 

 It was, no doubt, better to take money from the villeins beforehand and hire 

 labour than to run the risk of being thirty or forty men short, and possibly 

 recovering no fine from the tenant afterwards. The labour problem would 

 of course take different form in different villages. Where commutation had 

 become a custom it could hardly be reconverted, but where it was a matter 

 of convenience both the lord and the villein probably preferred a labour rent 

 to cash for a year or two after the Plague. Thus at Meesden in 1346 

 the custumaries bought 324 winter week works at ^d. each. In 1355 the 

 591 works due (two tenements were empty) were seemingly all performed.*' 

 Of 325 autumn week works only twenty-five were sold, but at the earlier date 

 the villeins seem to have done the autumn week works and the boon works, 

 though the reapers were hired. At some places the recovery was quicker. 

 At Ash well in 1352 the autumn boondays were redeemed, just as they had 

 been in 1340, and three works of hoeing and stacking were sold." At Pre 

 in 1 35 1 all the autumn labour was hired. There was clearly no violent 

 reversal. Such immediate adaptation to circumstances would have required 

 enlightened self-interest and independence of custom quite foreign to 

 mediaeval habits of mind. 



If the lords had wanted labour service they might have stipulated for 

 it in grants. Hired labour, we know, was an expense of the economical 

 kind, and further, the lords wanted money in a time of a rising standard of 

 comfort, and the tenants, after a year or so, were more willing to give money 

 than labour. 



The grants made in a few manors show in how small a number labour 

 services were involved ; a large amount of the old villein land, now empty, was 

 passing into the class of land held at a rent, villein only in name and in certain 

 legal consequences. Economically this class of unfree land was equal to free- 

 hold. Of three grants in villeinage made by the lord in the court of Codicote 

 in November 1350 two were for rent (in one case of 4^'. an acre) and suit of 

 court, the others for the autumn boonday and suit of court. These show, 

 incidentally, how cheaply land was selling. Other examples are of one grant 

 for rent only and one more grant at a rent of /\.d. an acre. On the other 

 side are three grants in villeinage for the customary services.'"' 



At Tyttenhanger, also a manor of St. Albans, the commonest grant seems 

 to be for rent and the due customs. Possibly St. Albans vills may have been 

 distinguished by this form of grant from those of other lords. If so, their 

 share in the Peasants' Revolt is to a great extent explained. At Munden 

 Furnival in 1351 the lord granted villein tenements for rent for 'all service 

 except common scot,' or for rent only. In one instance the villein heir 

 claimed and received his inheritance, doing the due and accustomed service. 

 He then surrendered it, and the lord regranted it to another man for 24J. a 

 year for all service, clearly preferring money to labour. When the lord gave 

 terms of life also, he accepted rent for all service." At Standon in 1352 in 

 five instances villein tenements were granted at will for rent only. So, too, 



*• Calcdon D. Ct. R. Tyttenhanger under date. 



« Mini. Accti. bdle. S6-, no. 6, 8. •<« Ct. R. (Gen. Ser.), portf. 176, no. 134. 



*'' Stowe MS. S4.9, fol. 50 et seq. « Ct. R. [Gin. Ser.), portf. 178, no. 7. 



196 



