The Manor and Manorial Records
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THE MANOR AND MANORIAL RECORDS BI NATHANIEL J. HONE WITH FIFTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON CONTENTS PALE xi PART I THE MANOR CHAPTER I. ORIGINOF THE MANOR . 11. THELORD OF THE MANOR . 111. THEMANORIAL HALL AND ESTATE. IV. THEDWELLERS ON THE MANOR . V. THEOFFICERS AND SERVANTSOF THE MANOR VI. WORKAND RECREATIONOF THE MANOR VII. THETENANTS OF ROYALAND CHURCHMANORS VIII. RIGHTSOF COMMONAND ENCLOSURES . IX. FAIRSAND MARKETS . PART I1 MANORIAL RECORDS I. TI. 1x1. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. CONTENTS APPENDIX I LISTS OF COURT ROLLS IN VARIOUS DEPOSITORIES PAGE COURTROLLS IN THE CUSTODYOF THE ECCLESIASTICAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT COMMISSIONERS 243 . PAGE COURTROLLS FROM THE LANDREVENUE OFFICE . 261 Manor House, Boothby Pagnell, Lincolnshire . '4 A West Country Manor House . 26 COURTROLLS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM . 266 . From S. Baring-Gould's OZd Country Lzfe COURTROLLS AT LAMBETHPALACE . 285 Plan of an Ancient West Country Manor House . From S. Baring-Gould's OZd Country LzfL COURTROLLS AT THE BODLEIANLIBRARY . - 297 Courtyard, Little Hempston . From S. Baring-Gould's O2d Country Lzje Plan of House at Little Hempston, South Devon . APPENDIX I1 From S. Baring-Gould's OZd Counfry Lzfc Dorrnitory, Layer Marnay, Essex . MISCELLANEA Interior of Solar, Charney . Interior of Chapel, Charney . Ground-plan of House, Charney, Berkshire . Interior of Hall, Sutton Courtney, Berks . Solar, Sutton Courtney, Berks . House with External Staircase . House . The Linces at Clothall, Hertc . From Seebohm's BngZzslz VzIZagc C~~~I~JZZL%Z& Porch of a Hall. House with External Staircase protected by a Porch . The Plan of a Manor, showing a Virgater's Holding 111 the Common Fields . .... Barnack Manor House, Northarnptonshire . Exterior of Chapel and Solar, Charney . Table and Seat . Plan of Burton Agnes, 1809 . .... Fireplace, Seat, and Table . Early English Ploughing . From Hall's Court Lzfe under fhPlantagenets Interior of the Hall, Great Malvern, Worcestershire . viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Women milking Ewes . 71 From Bateson's Medzedal Engiard Bakehouse. 72 Long Settle and Table . ... .74 Shepherds and Flock . 77 From Hall's Court Lzfe rcnder the Plantagenets October : Ploughing, Sowing, and Thre5hing . 79 From a Sheplrerd's Calendar, Rritish Museum (fourteenth century) November: Preparing Winter Stores . 80 From a She$hwd's Calena'ar, British Museum (fourteenth century) March : Lopping Trees . 82 From a Shejherd's Calendar, British Museum (fourteenth century) LIST OF PLATES June . Sheep-shearing . 83 From a Shejherd's Calendar, British Museum (fourteenth century) The Villain at Work . F~ontis@Mce Timber House . ..... 84 Deeds of Grant and Manumission of a Villain, Water Mi11 . ...... 85 - temp. Edward 111. Facepage 17 Wind Mill. 86 July: Mowing . 88 Sutton Courtney Manor, with Plan . 9, 37 From a ShejIterd's CaZendar, British Museum (fourteenth century) Reeve directing the labours of Reapers . 9 Y 68 August : Reaping 89 . From Bateson's Medzratal England From a Shejherd s Cakndar, British Museum (fourteenth century) September : Gathering Fruit and Pressing Grapes . gr Map of Ramsbury Manor, Wilts . >> I09 From a Shejhe>d's CaZendar, British Museum (fourteenth century) From an original in the Public Record Office Part of a House, showing the Situation of Solar or Lord's charnber 92 Court Roll of Wanvick College, tem.. Henry VIII. 125 Porch of a Hall . 96 Court Room at Knaresborough, Yorks 9 9 131 Swineherds and Swine . , . 98 . From Hall's Court Lzfe under the Plantagenets From a photograph by A. P. Watson, Knaresborough Interior of Hall of a superior Manor House, showing the Dais, the Plate Cupboard, the Minstrel Gallery, etc. 99 Court Roll of Letcombe Regis, Berks (52 Hen. 111.) . I43 From an original in the Public Record Office Court Roll of Donington, Berks (g Hen. VII.) . '55 From an original in the Public Record Office Court Roll of Gnossall, Staffs (7 Hen. VII.) . 183 From an original in the Puhlic Record Office Court Roll of Gnossall, Staffs (21 Eliz.) . 185 From an original in the Public Record Office Account Roll of the Reeve of Barkham, Berks (4 Edwd. 1.) . 205 From an original in the Public Record Office PREFACE a time when we have but recently embarked on a new system of local government, which is yet, so to speak, on its trial, it may be of more than historical interest to recall the fact that the institutions of parish councils and the like are but the successors of an older system CO-evalwith the existence of England as a state, and to endeavour to realize, by the aid of existing records, the conditions under which generations of our forefathers passed their lives forming those habits of self-reliance and resource- fulness which have imprinted an imperial character on the race. It has been well said by an authorityl on the subject that "nearly all that is being urged as appertaining to the privileges of a newly created system of local government -local option, land allotment, County boards, and other important subjects - has always belonged to the local institutions, and has never been taken away from them by any legal or constitutional enactment," and that "most of the powers noxv pro- posed to be conferred as a blessing at the hands of this or that political party already exist, but have 1 Gomme, Lzterature of Local Znstitutions. xi xiv PREFACE PREFACE xv disposal by their respective owners. The Extent and Office, and many friends for the hints and assistance Co-unpotz of the Bicester Manors are translations from given in this compilation. Kennet's Parochial Antiqz&ze.c. The extracts from the I would here also acknowledge the courtesy I have Glastonbury Custumals, from a volume published by invariably received at the hands of lords and their the Somerset Record Society; and the Extent of stewards, in being allowed to inspect and take tran- Warkworth, Northumberland, an early example of scripts of rolls ; unfortunately this is not the experience this class of document, from the original at the Public of many engaged in antiquarian research. Some, no Record Office. doubt well-intentioned, but too zealous custodians, are It is believed that the lists of Court Rolls in various often inclined to regard inquiries concerning their rolls depositories will be useful to the local historian and as an intrusion. It is to be hoped that, if the proposal genealogist, as also to members of the legal profession. of establishing County Record Offices should some A brief table of the elliptical phrases constantly recurring day be carried into effect, many lords may be induced in Court Rolls may be of assistance to those commenc- to deposit therein these valuable records, where they ing the study of these documents. It will be obvious would be secure from the ravages of fire, damp and to all readers who are conversant with manorial studies vermin, and, with permission of their owners, available that I have drawn freely from contemporary sources, as for the student of medizval life and manners. well as those of an earlier date, my endeavour having If these pages should arouse a wider interest in that been to present in a compendious form the result of old-time institution of the English manor, or lead to a more laborious researches in this field of literature. For more reverent care for the documents which enshrine those who wish to go more deeply into the subject, I its history, I shall have the satisfaction of feeling that have collected these authorities into a short bibliography my labour has not been altogether in vain. in Appendix 11. I am bound especially to acknowledge N. J. H. my indebtedness to the scholarly essays of Professor Vinogradoff who has done such excellent work in N.B -A society of Seneschals, or Manorial Stewards, of England and Wales is in process of formation, one of the objects of which 1s "to recent years to elucidate the many difficult points of aid and encourage the preservation and study of manorial Court Rolls English manorial history. My thanks are due to His Particulars may be obtained from Charles Greenwood, Esq , Steward of Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Ecclesi- the Manor of Old Paris Garden, I Mitre Court Buildings, Temple, E.C astical Commissioners for permission to print the lists of Court Rolls in their respective custodies, as also to the General Editor, the officers of the Public Record PARTI THE MANOR THE MANOR . AND MANORIAL RECORDS CHAPTER I ORIGIN OF THE MANOR HEN that institution which we know under its W Norman name of the manor first emerges upon the Stage of history, it is recognized that two elements enter into its constitution, the seignorial and the communal; a lord, and a group of dependents work- ring and having rights in common. The question then azises whether the manor owes its origin to the subjec- tion of a free community to an overlord ; or whether a servile population always existed working for a superior who was absolute owner of the soil. In other words, did private property in land exist from the beginning? Or is our present system merely the outcome of cen- turies of appropriation by individuals with more or less doubtful titles? The origin of the manor, a subject of engrossing interest to the student of social and economic science, is still involved in considerable obscurity. The re- searches of English and Continental scholars of recent THE MANOR ORIGIN OF THE MANOR years, although throwing much light on the subject, or servile throughout the Anglo-Saxon period ; whilst have, as yet, led to no definite conclusion, and the Professor Maitland contends that there was little com- matter is still considered sud~udzce. The mark theory, munalism in the early English village, which was held by the older school, on tvhich Mr.