第26章

Thelordtakesalsotenementsintohishandinthewayofescheat，intheabsenceofheirs。Court-rollsconstantlymentionplotswhichhavebeenresumedinthiswaybythelord。(91*)Thehomagehastoreporttothestewardastoallchangesofoccupation，andastothemeasureswhicharethoughtnecessarytopromotetheinterestsofthelandownerandofthetenantry。(92*)

Astothetreatmentoftenureinmanorialdocuments，itistobenoticedthatadistinctionwhichhasnojuridicalmeaningatallbecomesallimportantinpractice。Atcommonlaw，ashasbeensaidrepeatedly，thecontrastbetweenfreelandandservilelandresolvesitselfintoacontrastbetweenprecariousoccupationandproprietaryright。Thiscontrastisnoticedoccasionallyandasamatteroflegalprinciplebymanorialdocuments(93*)quiteapartfromtheconsequenceswhichflowfromit，andofwhichIhavebeenspeakingjustnow。Butinactuallifethisfundamentalfeatureisnotveryprominent；allstressislaidonthedistinctionbetweenlandheldbyrentandlandheldbylabour。Inthecommonphraseologyofsurveysandmanorialrolls，thetenementsonwhichtherentprevailsoverlabourarecalled’freetenements，’andthoseonthecontrarywhichhavetorenderlabourservices，bearthenamesof’servileholdings。’Thisfactiscertainlynottobetreatedlightlyasamereresultofdeficientclassificationorterminology。Itisaveryimportantoneanddeservestobeinvestigatedcarefully。

IntheancientsurveyofGlastonburyAbbey，compiledin1189，thequestionstobeansweredbythejuryareenumeratedinthefollowingway：’Whoholdsfreely’andhowmuch，andbywhatservices，andbywhosewarrant，andfromwhattime？HaslandwhichoughttoperformworkbeenturnedintofreelandinthetimeofBishopHenry，orafterwards？Bywhosewarrantwasthischangemade，andtowhatextentisthelandfree？Isthedemesnelandincultivation，orisitgivenawayinfreetenureorvillaintenure；issuchmanagementprofitable，orwoulditbebetterifthislandwastakenbackbythelord？’(94*)Thecontrastisbetweenlandwhichprovideslabourandlandwhichdoesnot；theformerisunfree，andvillaintenureisthetenureoflandheldbysuchservices；portionsofthedemesnegivenawayfreelymayeventuallybereclaimed。Theschemeofthesurveymadeinanswertothesequestionsisentirelyinkeepingwiththismodeofclassification。Allholdingsareconsideredexclusivelyfromtheeconomicpointofview；thetestofsecurityandprecariousoccupationisneverapplied。Itisconstantlynoticed，ontheotherhand，whetheraplotpaysrentorprovideslabour，whetheritcanbetransferredfromonecategoryintotheother，onwhatconditionsdemesnelandhasbeengiventopeasants，andwhetheritisexpedienttoalterthem。Letustakethefollowingcaseasaninstance：JohnClerkhadinthetimeofBishopHenryonevirgateinDomerhamandholdsitnow，andanothervirgateinStapelhamfortenshillings。WhenhefarmedtheDomerhammanorheleftonhisownauthoritythevirgateinStapelhamandtookhalfavirgateinDomerham，asitwasnearer。Thishalfvirgateoughttoworkandisnowfree。AndthevirgateinStapelbam，thoughitwasfreeformerly，hastoworknow，aftertheexchange。(95*)Theoppositionisquiteclear，andentirelysuitedtothelistofquestionsaddressedtothejury。Themeaningofthetermsfreeandfreedomisalsobroughtoutbythefollowingexample。AnderdBuddeholdshalfavirgateofdemesneland，fromthetimeofBishopHenry，bythesameservicesasallwhoholdsomuch。Thevillagehastorenderasgifttwenty-nineshillingsandsixpence。Sixpencearewanting(tocompletethethirtyshillings？)

becauseAnderdholdsmorefreelythanhisancestorsusedto。(96*)

Suchphraseologyisbynomeansrestrictedtoonedocumentoronelocality。InaRamseyCartularywefindthefollowingentryinregardtoaHuntingdonshiremanor：’Ofsevenhidesoneisfree；oftheremainingsixtwovirgatespayrent。Theholderpayswiththevillains；hepaysmerchetandjoinsintheboon-workasthevillains。Theremainingfivehidesandthreevirgatesareinpurevillainage。’(97*)ThegradationissomewhatmorecomplexherethanintheSomersetshireinstance：besidesfreelandandworkinglandwehaveaseparatedivisionformixedcases。Butthefoundationisthesameinbothdocuments。EarliersurveysofRamseyAbbeyshowthesameclassificationofholdingintofreeandworkingvirgates(liberae，adopus(98*))。

Inoppositiontofreeservice，thatisrent，wefindboththevillenagium(99*)andtheterracon