S

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