A HISTORY OF RUTLAND was held by two men, each half-holding then being called a bovate. As in other counties, the holders of such lands enjoyed certain rights of common of pasture and wood. The customary land at the beginning of our period was held chiefly by agricultural services, but records of the time of Henry III show that a small money rent was paid as well." At Overton*' at this time there were 9 virgates in villeinage, and the holder or holders of each virgate" were expected to work two days in the week for the greater part of the year, between the beginning of August and Michaelmas every day except Saturday, besides four days in autumn. Also a certain amount of ploughing was regu- larly done, as well as hoeing of the land ploughed. There was no possibility of shirking the work, as the amount expected from each day's ploughing was always specified. Besides these regular working days all these workers on each virgate of land had to turn out at harvest time to do 3 ' boon ' works for the lord (' quelibet virgata terrae debet operari cum omnibus operariis suis ad precarium domini'). The power of making such requests was exceedingly important to the lord, as it meant he could take full advantage of favourable weather for harvesting. During those boon days the lord supplied the workers with food. For the first two days he gave them bread, beer, and flesh ; on the third day the fare was not quite so satisfying, the food con- sisting of bread with herring, or cheese, and no beer. There were also carry- ing services, and for these the tenants had to use their own carts and horses. The value to the lord of these services was 1 2^/. per virgate. Also from each virgate he received at Christmas a rent of lod. and three hens, and at Easter glJ. and twenty sheep. The cottagers belonging to Overton Manor were very numerous, and may be put into two classes. The first of these is represented by one Henry Palmer, who held a toft and croft "* and 3 half acres of land, giving is. of rent in the year. He had to perform nine works in autumn, help in the boon services, and provide a woman "° for one day to help to toss the hay and shear the lord's sheep. The second class of cottager gave no services ; the larger number paid 2s. in rent, but a few paid u. or 8^. only. This latter type of cotter illustrates the statement made by Pro- fessor Vinogradoff that throughout England the cottagers wtve the first to free themselves from the burden of compulsory services. With regard to the commutation of services for money payments, it is curious to find in such a small county as Rutland that the development of this was so very unequal. To illustrate the point we will quote from three different extents belonging to the year 13 15. First, at Luffenham, Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, had five customary tenants, each of whom owned a messuage and virgate for which he paid 16^. of rent and worked for two days in the week from Michaelmas to the beginning of August, and for five days in each week between the first day of August and Michaelmas.*' Here we have similar conditions to those in Overton Manor in the time of Henry III. Secondly, at Hardwick Manor there were thirty-seven cus- " The monej' rent may have been paid at a much earlier date, as was the case in many of the Glastonbury manors during the 12th century. " Rentals and Surv. R. (P.R.O.), 14. " It is always the virgate, not the virgator, that is referred to in the roll quoted. " A holding of meadow land. " Cf Rogers, Hist, of Agrlc. and Prices, i, 273, where it is stated that the 'help' was usually a woman. '* Inq. p.m. 9 Edw. II, file 49, no. 30. 214
