Besides the land regularly used for pasture, the cattle of the village were sent grazing along the roads (33*) and in the woods.(34*) These last were mostly used for feeding swine. In other respects, also, the wood was subjected to a treatment analogous to that of the pasture land. The right of hunting was, of course, subjected to special regulations, which have to be discussed from the point of view of forest law. But, apart from that right, the wood was managed by the village community according to certain customary rules. Every tenant had a right to fell as many young trees as he wanted to keep his house and his hedges in order.(35*) It sometimes happens, that the lord and the homage enter into agreement as to the bigger trees, and for every trunk taken by the lord the tenantry are entitled to take its equivalent.(36*) Whenever the right had to be apportioned more or less strictly, the size of the holdings was always the main consideration.(37*)It would be strange to my purpose to discuss the details of common of estovers, of turbary,(38*) or of fishery. The chief points which touch upon the problems of social origins are sufficiently apparent in the subject of pasture. The results of our investigation may, I think, be summed up under the following heads: --1. Rights of common are either a consequence of the communal husbandry of the manor, or else they proceed from special agreement or long use.
2. The legal arrangement of commons depends on a customary arrangement, in which free and unfree tenants take equal part.(39*)3. The feudal theory of the lord's grant is insufficient to explain the different aspects assumed by rights of common, and especially the opposition between lord and free commoners.
NOTES:
1. Eynsham Cart. 2, c: 'Est quoddam pratum nuncupatum Clayhurste et continet de prato et pastura 35 acras dimidiam rodam 13perticas. Est ibidem ex parte australi una pecia prati et pasture et continet 10 acras et 7 perticas et nuncupatur twelueacres que annuatim diuiditur in 12 parcellas per le virgam equales, unde dominus habet uno anno i, iii, v, vii, ix et xi, heredes Freman et Walterus le Reue eodem anno habent parcellas ii, iv, vi, viii, x et xii. Alio anno habet dominus parcellas quas tenentes habuerunt et tenentes parcellas domini. Et sic annuatim habet dominus quinque acras, tres perticas et dimidiam perticam.' Cf.
23, c: 'Memorandum quod in prato de Landemede sunt *** parcelle bundate quarum prima parcella nuncupata Stubbefurlong continet 4acras et dimidiam rodam et est domini anno incarnacionis Domini impari et tenencium anno incarnacionis Domini pari. Quandovero est tenencium, diuiditur per sortem.'
2. A very good instance is supplied by Williams, Rights of Common, 89, 9o. Cf Birkbeck, Sketch of the Distribution of Land in England, 19.
3. Gloucester Cart. iii. 67 (Extenta de Berthona Regis): 'De pastura separabili dicunt quod Rex habet quandam moram quae continet 4 1/2 acras et valet 4 solidos et potest sustinere 12boves per nouem menses. Item de pastura inseparabili dicunt quod Abbas Gloucestriae debet invenire pasturam ad I8 boves domini Regis, et ad 2 vaccas, et 2 afros, a vigilia Pentecostes quousque prata sint falcata, levata et cariata.' Exch. Q. R. Treas. of Rec. 59/69: 'item dicunt quod sunt ibi de pastura separabili 50acrae et valet acra 3 d.'
4. Eynsham Cart. 3, b: 'Dicunt eciam quod omnia prata pasture domini et omnes culture non seminate et [que] deberent seminari sunt separalia per tempus predictum.' 10, b: 'Et sunt dicte pasture separales quousque blada circumcrescentia asportentur.' Acurious case is the following; ibid., 3, b: 'Dicunt eciam quod dominus tenetur pratum suum de Langenhurst custodire nec potest attachiare malefactores in eodem a solis ortu usque ad occasum, aliis temporibus... licet, et est separale a festo annunciacionis beate Marie usque gulam Augusti.'
5. Domesday of St. Paul's, 69: 'Non est ibi certa pastura nisi quando terre dominice quiescunt alternatim inculte.' Cf 59: 'Non est ibi pastura nisi cum quiescit dominicum per wainnagium...
possunt ibi esse 4 sucs cum uno verre et suis fetibus et 4 vacce cum suis fetibus si quiescunt pasture dominice alternatim.' Rot.
Hundr. ii. 768, b: 'Item porci eius et aliorum vicinorum suorum pascent in campis dominicis extra tassum dum bladum domini stat in campis, et post bladum domini cariatum ibunt in campis per totum et omnes alie bestie ejus et aliorum vicinorum suorum pascent per totum in stipulo domini sine imparcamento.'
6. Glastonbury Cart., Wood MSS. 1 (Bodleian), f 182, b. Cf f 239, 240: 'Memorandum anni 1243 de amensuratione pasture... dicunt precise quod ad quamlibet hidatam terre in eadem villa pertinent 16 boues ad terram excolendam, 4 vacce, 4 averia, 50 bidentes et 6 porci... ad unam virgatam terre pertinent 4 boues, et 2 vacce, et 1 auerium, et 3 porci et 12 bidentes ad tantam terram colendam et sustinendam.' Leigerbook of Kirkham Priory, Yorkshire, Fairfax MSS. 7, f 8 a: 'Amensuratio pasture de Sexendale facta anno regni regis Henrici filii regis Iohannis 36to... qui dicunt per sacramentum suum quod quelibet bouata terre in Sexendale potest sustinere duo grossa animalia, 30 oues cum sequela unius anni, duos porcos sine sequela et 3 aucas cum sequela dimidii anni, ct non amplius.'
7. In a case of 1233 (Note-book of Bracton, 749) it is complained, -- 'Cum idem Robertus non possit aliena aueria in pasturam illam recolligere, scil. hominum alterius religionis,'
etc.
8. Note.book of Bracton, pl. 174: 'Dicunt eciam quod in manerio de Billingiheie, sicut inquirere possunt, sunt 12 carucate terre tam in certa terra quam in marisco predicto, scilicet *** carucate de certa terra et *** carucate in marisco, et in Northkime sunt *** carucate terre et quatuor bouate tam in certa terra quam in marisco predicto, set nesciunt aliquam distinctionem quantum sit in certa terra et quantum in marisco nec aliquid inquirere potuerunt de metis infra mariscos illos.'
