he may hold it, and poffeffing it may enjoy it, for CHA P. the length of his life. After his death he might leave it to any two heirs whom he preferred, to have it perpetually-After their death it was to revert to the church of St. Mary

69

IN 984 Oswald gave to his kinfman Eadwig, and his wife, three manfæ for their lives. If the hufband furvived her he was to be deemed the first poffeffor, or heir of the land; or if the furvived, fhe was to be the first heir.

They were empowered to leave all to their offspring, if they if not, the furvivor was to leave it to any two heirs 70.

had any ;

THUS a bishop gave to Berhtwulf, the Mercian king, certain lands" for the space of the days of "five men, to have and to enjoy it with justice, and "after the number of their days that it may be "returned, without any diffention or conflict, to "the church in Worcefter." This fame land Berhtwulf gave to his minifter Ecbercht "for the "fpace of the days of five men, as before it was "given to him "."

SOMETIMES an attempt was made to poffefs the land beyond the number of lives indicated. It is mentioned in a charter that one Cynethryth had conveyed fome land for three lives, and that Ælfted had added three more lives, when it was discovered by inspecting the hereditarios libros of the king Kenulf, who first granted it, that the person originally receiving it had only the power of giving it

69 Smith's App. Bede, p. 773. "Heming. Chart. p. 6. 8.

7° Ib. p. 778.

BOOK for one life. Confequently the fubfequent grants were fet afide 72.

III.

A LIFE eftate was alfo a very frequent tenure, Sometimes the remainder that was to follow a life eftate was expreffed. This was ufually to the

church.

THUS Aldred, in the middle of the eighth cen tury, gave a monaftery to his relation, "on con, "dition that the poffefs it as long as fhe lives, and "" when the goes the way of her fathers," it was to revert to the church of Worcester into the jus of the epifcopal feat 73. An archbishop devised land to a perfon for life, with remainder to an abbey 74.

THE land paffing by these grants was called Bocland, as the land held by bifhops was mentioned as Bifceopa land; the land of Thegns was Thegnes land, and the land of Earles was Earles land. All these occur in Doomsday-book. There was alfo King's land, Gerefa land, and fuch like; but these names attached to land feem rather to exprefs the quality of the demefne proprietors than other circumstance.

any

ONE grant is rather fingular, in the limitations of the estate which it conveys. The king gives a manor to Edred, and permits Edred to give it to Lulla and Sigethrythe, who are enjoined to give part of the land to Eaulfe and Herewine. But Eaulfe was to give half of this part to Biarnulve,

72 Heming. Chart. p. 29.
73 Smith's App. Bede, p. 765.
MS. Claud. c. 9. p. 125.

II.

and to enjoy the other half for his own life, with CHA P. the power of devifing it as he pleased "5.

To these tenures we may add the Gafoleland, or land granted or demifed on the condition of paying fome contribution in money or other property. Thus archbishop Ealdulf, in 996, gave land to a miles, for his life and two heirs, but annexed a condition that they fhould provide every year fifteen falmon 7. An abbot and the monks demised twenty-feven acres to a perfon that he might have them in ftipendium as long as he ferved them well 77.

AN ancient leafe is mentioned in the year 852, by which Ceolred, abbot of Medeshamstede, and the monks, let' (leot) to Wulfred the land at Sempigaham for her life, on condition that he gave (befides fome other land) a yearly rent of fixty fother of wood, twelve fother of græfan, which may mean. coals; fix fother of turf, two tuns full of clear ale, two flain cattle, fix hundred loaves, ten mittan of Welsh ale, one horse, thirty fhillings, and a night's lodging 78. A marsh was leafed at the rent of two thousand eels 79. By the laws a ceorl who had gafol lande was estimated at two hundred fhillings 80.

75 Aftle's MS. Charters, No. 20.

76 Heming. Chart. p. 191.

78 Sax. Chron. p. 75.

o Wilkin's Leg. Sax. p. 47.

77

3

Gale's Script. p. 475. 793 Gale's Scrip. p. 477

III.

The Burdens to which Lands were liable, a

THE

Privileges.

BOOK THE oldeft Saxon grants we have con servations of services which the poff the land had to perform, and, from the la of those which have furvived to our times, ceive that certain burdens, though varying and quantity, were attached to eftates in eve Some few were exempted from any; a larg portion were freed from all but the three gr ceffities which in one charter are defcribed "what it is neceffary that all people fhould "from which work none can be excufed."

THESE three common labours, or unive ceffities, as they are frequently styled, are th færelde; the bryge geweorc; and the w fæften-geweorc.

THE fyrd-færelde was the military fer which all the Saxon lands appear to have be ject, excepting those which the king, with th fent of his Witena, or fometimes the king expressly exempted from the obligation. military fervice confifted in providing a number of armed men, proportioned to th quantity of land, who were to attend the his officers on expeditions made for the publ

III.

ty, or against invading enemies. What number of c H A men a given quantity of land was to furnish cannot now be precisely ftated; though it would feem, from Doomsday-book, that five hides found one foldier in most counties. In the year 821 a grant of various lands was made with the specified condition, that the owner fhould attend the public expedition with twelve vaffals and as many shields. Even church lands were not exempt from this general obligation of military service. We find a perfon mentioned as a witness, who was "the leader "of the army of the fame bishop to the king's fer"vice." Egelwin, prior of a monastery, gave to a miles the villa of Crohlea for life, on the condition that he should serve for the monaftery in the expeditions by fea and land.

THERE are many grants of lands to monasteries in which the military service is exprefsly referved. It is almost always spoken of as a general, known, and established thing. It is mentioned in Doomsdaybook of the burgh of Lideford, in Devonshire, that when an expedition is on foot, either by land or fea, the burg has to render the fame amount of service as fhould be required from Totnefs.

OF Totnefs it is faid, that when expeditions are enjoined, as much fervice is to be rendered from Totnefs, Barnstaple, and Lideford, as from Exeter, and Exeter was to ferve as for five hides of lands.

3
? Heming. Chart. p. 81.
Doomsday-book, con. Devenscire.

2 MS. Claud. c. 9. p. 104. * lb. p. 265.

5