III. Anno 1341.
"Memorandum, That all the commoners upon the commons of this town, both freeholders and copyholders, pay hens, eggs, and days works with their plough, to the lord, except those that have liberty of faldage, and that all copyholders are obliged to have their sheep in the lord's fold, from Pentecost to St. Martin." The quitrents (in money) and freerents were 4l. 2s. 2d. 1q. and 3 roots of ginger, of 1d. value; 95 hens justly valued at 7s. 2d.; 17 capons valued at 1d. ob. each: 5 ducks valued at 10d.; 539 eggs and more, valued at 3d. a hundred; 212 days works in autumn, the workmen to be maintained by the lord, valued at 1d. a day; 174 afternoon works in autumn, 1d. each, the workmen having no victuals; 25 days work with their carts and horses, and no victuals allowed them, valued at 2d. each day; 120 alebeves, or as many as will come; 183 journeys at plough, without victuals, if all come in to do their work; and if they do not, they must work half a day for every day of ploughing, the whole valued at 7s. 3d. ob.; 170 days work and a half in sharing; 174 days work in mowing, every 4 days valued at 1d. 15 haymakers to make it, as the mowers cut it, they being obliged to make and mow 59 acres 1 rood; the whole of cutting and getting up is valued at 4d. an acre; 54 days to cut and make the lord's wood, and to finish it before Christmas; 20 days to pull the lord's hemp; 120 days work of a man and horse, every day valued at 1d.; 33 days work of a man, each worth 1d. besides days made uncertain, because when they do not plough or cart, they are to do other work as the lord pleases; but there are 220 works more, of half a day each, value certain; 12 chickens one halfpenny each; 41 carriages to carry corn, worth 20d. ob.; 160 days work in carting out the muck; 41 days to carry the hay, value 20d. ob.; 3 days to cart the timber; 14 loads of hay to be thrashed, valued 2d. a load; 14 loads of corn to be thrashed, value 2d. each load; 28 days to make hurdles for the fold; 18 to clean and repair the cow bings; and 10 to repair the horses' stalls, all which services were valued at 5l. 11s. 9d. 1q.
By this account we may see the difference of the value of things then and now [1736] in what a servile condition the copyholders were, and how grand the lords must be, who had all works done without any expense.
