314 The Customs of Four Manors of the Abbe// of Lacock. 



lord or his bailiff; also called " boon work " ; mostly in 

 ploughing and harvest. 

 (2) Opera diuma, or day work ; a fixed number of days each 



week, for the whole or a specified portion of the day. 

 ('•')) Aver agio, carrying services; a matter of much importance 

 when transport was so little < >rga nisei 1. This service 

 naturally fell chiefly on the virgaters, who had cattle of 

 their own. and if within the county was to he at their 

 own cost, if without, at the cost of tin 1 lord. 

 (4) Occasional works at times of special pressure, such as hay- 

 making, si i Saringj etc. 

 To cope with this complicated system of labour, there was 

 required on each manor a stall' of servants, servicntes, or ministri, 

 as they are called at Heddington. There was first the srnrsntt/ns 

 seneschal, or steward, who had charge of a number of manors, and 

 accounted for the profits thereof directly to the lord; then on each 

 manor the ballivus, or bailiff appointed by the lord, side by side 

 with whom we find the prepositus or reeve, appointed by the tenants 

 and looked upon as their representative. These two otlicers were 

 jointly responsible for the due performance of the work on each 

 manor, and we see an endeavour, in this double arrangement, after 

 a rough sort of equity, the hailill" being charged with the lord's 

 interest, the reeve with that of the tenants. This latter otlice was 

 looked upon as a distinguishing mark of servile condition, and was 

 by no means eagerly sought after, exemption from it being highly 

 prized, and some compensating privilege <>r relaxation of rent 

 being usually at tached to it. 



Next comes usually the mrssor, havward. or harvostman, charged 

 with the oversight of the hay and corn harvest. 



Then follow the ploughmen, m rurn rii, or fthmnanni, who were, 

 as a rule, equal in Dumber to the ploughs and plough-teams on the 

 demesne land, 1 the shepherds ( jmsforrs, brrvo rii ). the cow-herd 

 (custos rami rti m), swineherd (porcarii's), dairyman, waggoner 



1 At I [eddingtOD, for instance there were three ploughs on the demesne at 

 the Domesday Survey, and in these customs it is mentioned that there are 



throe earuearii. 



