Some Terms used in Agrarian History A GLOSSARY i By R. A. BUTLIN EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION RARIAN history, like other branches of learning, not infrequently ~ finds itself bedevilled in discussion and exposition by ambiguity in the terms employed. Either the terms themselves lack precision, or the writer uses them in a sense different from that commonly under- stood, and feels safe in doing so because there is no generally accepted standard. The glossary which follows has been drafted by Mr Butlin at my invitation, as a first step towards the adoption of an agreed terminology. It deals principally with the language of open-field husbandry, and therefore should be regarded as a first instalment, to be followed later perhaps by a glossary of terms used in modern farming. The definitions it offers are pro- visional; readers who disagree with them are invited to propound alternative definitions of their own. It is published in the hope that after discussion and revision it will find acceptance with writers in this REVIEW and contributors to the now in progress. r: i Agrarian History of England and Wales ED., A.H.R. ACRE. See LANDMEASUREMENT. BUTT. A section in a common arable field AGISTMENT. The pasturing of one per- which has been shortened by the irregular son's animals on another's land on payment of shape of the field, and is therefore shorter a due. In relation to common land, it signifies than the others in the shott. the letting to another of a commoner's right CALMING. The reaping of stubble left in to pasture his stock (but not a right APPEN- the arable field after the ears of corn have been DANT). reaped. APPENDANT. See COMMON,Right of. CATTLEGAIT. See STINT. APPURTENANT. See COMMON, Right of. COMMON APPENDANT. A right of com- ASSART. A piece of land, taken from waste mon given by law to the freeholders of a or forest, cleared of trees, and converted into manor (those who held land granted as free- arable (from French verb essarter,to grub up). hold arable by the lord of the manor before BALK (BAULK). An unploughed piece of the Statute of Quia Emptores in I29o) to de- land in a common arable field, with various pasture their commonable animals on the uses: as an access path, by which a tenant waste of the manor. At a later date, the right could reach his land (known as a FOOTBALK) ; a was limited to those commonable animals boundary between shotts, strips, and other which were "levant and couchant" on the units of arable; or merely places which are tenement, i.e. those commonable animals iIi! unsuitable for cultivation. Balks were often which could be maintained throughout the ii i ~: grazed by tethered animals. winter on the land to which the right was BEASTGAIT. See STINT. appendant. After 129o, the right could be J/., ii,: BOVATE. See LANDMEASUREMENT, claimed by prescription only. !l :~ii 98 :1 ~ I I, '11 i! It!' SOME TERMS USED IN AGRARIAN HISTORY 99 COMMON APPURTENANT. A right of important of the rights of common. This common of pasture which depends on express includes Common Appendant, Common grant by the owner of the soil or on prescrip- Appurtenant. Common in gross, Common tion, and is attached to a particular holding. pur cause de vicinage, and Common of The right may be granted to a person who is Shack. not a customary tenant of the manor, e.g. a COMMON OF PISCARY. The right to fish freeholder who is a tenant in fee simple, and in waters belonging to another person. may exist in respect of animals other than COMMON OF SHACK. The right of cus- commonable animals, and in respect of land tomary tenants and freeholders to pasture which was not part of the ancient arable land their commonable animals over the arable and of the manor. meadow land of the manor between harvest COMMON ARABLE. Arable land, con- and seed-time, or over the parts of the manor tained in common fields, which became com- which were temporarily lying fallow. monable after harvest. COMMON OF TURBARY. The right to COMMON FIELD. Land cultivated in take peat or turf for fuel. common, including arable and meadow land. COMMON PASTURE. Land used exclu- COMMON-FIELD HUSBANDRY. See sively for pasture by manorial tenants. The FIELD SYSTEMS. soil may be vested in the lord of the manor, or COMMON IN GROSS. A right to have in undivided shares in the owners of the pas- grazing and other rights in the waste irre- ture right. Because the pasture could, in most spective of any ownership of land, for the instances, be grazed by a limited number of right is annexed to a man's person, either by animals (see STINT),and often for only part of grant to him and his heirs by deed, or it may the year, the common pasture tended to be be claimed by prescription. land of better quality than the common waste. COMMON LAND. Land subject to com- COMMON PUR CAUSE DE VICINAGE mon rights. exists where there are adjoining wastes be- COMMON MEADOW. Land, cropped for longing to different manors, and tenants hav- hay, which reverted, once the hay had been ing a right of pasture over one of the wastes lifted (usually at Laminas-tide), to the whole are allowed to pasture their animals on the community; then commonable animals were waste of the other. The right is a permissive pastured on it. The common meadow was one, and overcomes the problem of excess often low-lying alluvial land, adjoining a litigation for trespass. stream or river. If the ownership of the indi- COMMON, RIGHT OF. A right of com- vidual portions was not fixed, the strips of mon is the right which one or more persons meadow might be allotted by rotation or by have to make use of, or take produce from, the lot. See DOLE MEADOW, LOT MEADOW. land of another. In most instanr2es the owner COMMON OF ESTOVER. The common of the Soil was the lord of the manor, who also right, appurtenant or in gross, to take wood enjoyed rights of common thereon. 1 The from the waste or woods of a manor. This waste of the manor was vested in the lord in right includes: Plowbote, the right to take fee simple, but normally subject to customary wood to repair ploughs, carts, and farm common rights. In the arable and meadow implements; Firebote, the right to take tree the strips of the customary tenants were loppings for fuel; Hedgebote (or Heybote), the vested in fee simple of the lord of the manor, right to take wood for the repair of fences and holding of the Crown, but these tenants had gates; Housebote, the right to take wood to exclusive possession, subject to common repair a house. rights. When the common arable and meadow COMMON OF PASTURE. The most were thrown open for pasturing of common- 1 Some common lands are not in manors, e.g. the common lands of an ancient borough, or of a 'reputed manor'. See Royal Commission on Commc,n Land, I955-8, Report, Cmd 46z, p. I7o. j 100 THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY REVIEW able animals, the ownership of the soil did attached to a house, which was almost in- not change, but the rights of pasture were variably enclosed. Crofts are occasionally common rights, because each tenant exer- located within common fields. See TOFT AND cised rights over land other than his own. It is CROFT. necessary to make the distinction between DEMESNE. (i) A feudal term, as in the the rights of common, and sole or exclusive phrase 'in demesne as of fee', meaning a rights (see SOLE VESTUI~and SOLE PASTVRe). tenement not sub-enfeoffed, i.e. kept in the 4 Common rights evolved through "an in- hands of the owner and descending to his creasing limitation of rights to more sharply lineal and collateral heirs. I defined classes of user. This limitation arose (ii) Agricultural demesne: demesne land is the naturally from the pressure of a growing reserve which the lord of the manor cultivates population upon a fixed supply of land through his own agents so that he may directly throughout historic times. The degree of consume or sell the produce, as distinct from pressure, and hence the chronology of the land held by his tenants. The demesne was limitation of common rights, varied according frequently sub-let, and could be worked by :i to local circumstances. ''1 labour services, by hired labour, or by slaves. COMMON WASTE. This term includes a (iii) ANCIENT DEMESNE. Land which had for- vcide variety of classes of land, all of which merly been royal demesne land, but which were either uncultivated or uncultivable. had subsequently been alienated to other They were used as permanent sources of landowners. 2 grazing for livestock, as sources of fuel, and of (iv) ROYAL DEMESNE. Demesne land which material for repairs of houses and imple- belonged to the Crown. ments, and they also allowed the expansion of ENCLOSURE. The process of delimiting the arable area to take place, by enclosure and land by means of a fence or boundary, thus improvement. removing it, either temporarily or permanent- COMMONABLE LAND. Land commun- ly, from common use. Permanently enclosed ally used for part of the year (arable, meadow, land was not usually subject to common and sometimes common pasture) which, after rights. harvest, was pastured by the commonable ENCLOSURE IN SEVERALTY. The divi- animals until seed-time. sion of common or commonable land among COMMONABLE ANIMALS.