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Manorialism

Manorialism

Reached its complete form in the HMA

A medieval manor was a unit of land consisting of one or more villages that was governed by a noble, who was called a lord

an estate held by a lord, comprised of a demesne directly exploited by the lord, and peasant holdings from which he collected rents and fees

Manorial Governance

Lord

Steward APPOINTED

Bailiff

• Reeve ELECTED

• Other Manorial Officials • Aletaster, hayward, woodward etc

Status of Peasants

ECONOMIC

• Virgater

• Half-virgater

• cotters

LEGAL

• Freeman• Only taxes and possibly boonwork

• Half-villein• Taxes and some week and boon work

• Villein (serf)• Taxes, boonwork and weekwork

A Typical Manorial Village

Groups of tofts and crofts

Fields in outlying area

Fields divided intro strips

Three field system

Demesne= lord’s land

Pastureland

Woodland

Manor house

church

Some Dues Owed to Lord

Heriot (death tax)

Merchet (marriage tax)

Multure (tax to grind wheat into flour)

Pannage (tax to allow pigs in forest)

Occasionally special items at certain times of the year ie; eggs at Easter

Some Dues Owed to Priest

Plough-alms: tax on each plough team due at Easter

Soul-Scot: tax for funeral mass

Church-scot: paid by freemen at Martinmas

Tithes

(Glebe)

Why on Earth?

Manorial relationship generally not exploitative, rather symbiotic Protection/safety for a fee

Peasants elected those officials who had the most influence on their lives

Peasants had recourse to tradition

Key Terns

Lord

Steward

Bailiff Reeve

Key Terms

Demesne

Virgate

Toft and croft

Wattle and daub

Weekwork

boonwork

Key Terms

Heriot

Merchet

Tithe

Hallmote

Frankenpledge