第16章

Thereisnotmuchtochoosebetweenthisandtheenrolmentofa’brevedemonstraverunt’intheusualsensebeyondthefactthatitisenteredonaRollofExchequerMemoranda。In1292amandateofKingEdwardItotheBaronsoftheExchequerisenteredinbehalfofthemenofCosteseyeinNorfolkwhocomplainedofdiversgrievancesagainstAthelwaldofCrea，thebailiffofthemanor。Thepetitionitselfisenrolledalso，anditsetsforth，thatwhereasthepoormenofthekingofthebasetenureinthemanorofCosteseyeheldbycertainusages，fromatimeofwhichmemoryrunsnohigher，aswellunderthecountsofBrittanyasunderthekingstowhomthemanorwasforfeited，nowbailiffAthelwalddistrainsthemtodootherserviceswhichoughttobeperformedbypurevillains。Theycouldsellandleasetheirlandsinthefieldsatpleasure，andheseizeslandswhichhavebeensoldinthiswayandamercesthemforselling；besidesthishemakesthemserveasreevesandcollectors，andthebailiffofthelateQueenEleanortallagedthemfromyeartoyeartopaytwentymarks，whichtheywerenotboundtodo，becausetheyarenovillainstobetallagedhighandlow。(53*)Suchisthesubstanceofthisremarkabledocument，towhichIshallhavetoreferagaininotherconnexions。WhatIwishtoestablishnowis，thatwehaveontheking’sownpossessionstheexactcounterpartofthe’brevedemonstraverunt。’Theinstancesadducedareperhapsthemorecharacteristicbecausethepetitionershadnoteventhestrictprivilegeofancientdemesnetoleanupon，asoneofthecasescomesfromNorthumberland，whichisnotmentionedinDomesday，andtheotherconcernstenantsofthehonourofRichmond。

Therecanbenodoubtthatthetenantryontheancientdemesnehadevenbetterreasonsforappealingtoimmemorialusage，andcertainlytheyknewhowtourgetheirgrievances。WemaytakeasaninstancethenoticeofatrialconsequentuponacomplaintofthemenofBrayagainsttheConstableofWindsor。

Braywasancientdemesneandtheking’stenantscomplainedthattheyweredistrainedtodootherservicesthantheywereusedtodo。Thejudgmentwasintheirfavour。(54*)

Thechiefpointisthatthewritof’Monstraverunt’appearstobeconnectedwithpetitionstothekingagainsttheexactionsofhisofficers，andmaybesaidinitsorigintobeapplicableasmuchtotheactualpossessionsofthecrownastothosewhichhadbeengrantedawayfromit。Thisexplainsaveryremarkableomissioninourbestauthorities。Althoughthewritplayedsuchanimportantpartinthelawofancientdemesne，andwassopeculiarinitsformandsubstance，neitherBractonnorhisfollowersmentionitdirectly。Theysetdown’thelittlewritofrightclose’astheonlywritavailableforthevillainsocmen。

Astheprotectioninpointofservicesisneverthelessdistinctlyaffirmedbythosewriters，andastheMonstraveruntappearsinfullworkingorderinthetimeofHenryIIIandevenofJohn，(55*)theobviousexplanationseemstobethatBractonregardedthecaseasonenotofwritbutofpetition，amatter，wemightsay，ratherforroyalequitythanforstrictlaw。Thusboththetwomodesofprocedurewhicharedistinctiveoftheancientdemesne，namelythe’parvumbreve’andthe’Monstraverunt，’thoughtheyattaintheirfulldevelopmentonthemanorsthathavebeenalienated，seemreallytooriginateonmanorswhichareintheactualpossessionofthecrown。

Ifwenowexaminetheconditionsunderwhichthemanorsoftheancientdemesnewerealienatedbythecrown，weshallatonceseethatnoverydefinitelinecouldbedrawnbetweenthosewhichhadbeengivenawayandthosewhichremainedintheking’shand。

Theoneclassgraduallyshadesoffintotheother。AverygoodexampleisaffordedbythehistoryofStoneleighAbbey。In1154

KingHenryIIgavetheCistercianmonksofRadmoreinStaffordshirehismanorofStoneleighinexchangefortheirpossessionsinRadmore。ThecharterasgivenintheRegisteroftheAbbeyseemstoamounttoacompletegrantofthelandandofthejurisdiction。Nevertheless，wefindHenryIIdrawingallkindsofperquisitesfromtheplaceallthroughhisreign，anditisspeciallynoticedthathiswritsweredirectednottotheAbbotortheAbbot’sbailiffs，buttohisownbailiffsinStoneleigh。(56*)Inordertogetridoftheinconveniencesconsequentuponsuchmixedownership，AbbotWilliamofTysoboughtacharterfromKingJohn，grantingtotheAbbeyallthesokeofStoneleigh。(57*)Butallthesametheroyalrightsdidnotyetdisappear。Thereweretenantsconnectedwiththeplacewhowereimmediatelydependentontheking，(58*)andhisbailiffcontinuedtoexercisefunctionsbythesideof，andinconjunctionwith，theofficersoftheAbbot。(59*)Inthe50thyearofHenryIIIaremarkablecaseoccurred：——acertainAlexanderofCanlewastriedforusurpingtherightsoftheAbbotastothetenantryinthehamletofCanle，anditcameoutthatoneofhisancestorshadsucceededinimprovinghispositionofcollectoroftherevenueintothepositionofanowneroftherents。AlthoughtherightswhichwerevindicatedagainsthimweretherightsoftheAbbot，stillthekingenteredintopossessionandafterwardstransferredthepossessiontotheAbbot。(60*)Inoneword，thekingisalwaysconsideredas’theseniorlord’ofStoneleigh；hislordshipissomethingmoredirectthanamerefeudalover-lordship。(61*)

WefindasimilarstateofthingsatKing’sRipton。ThemanorhadbeenletinfeefarmtotheAbbotsofRamsey。Incaseofatenementlapsingintothelord’shands，itisseizedsometimesbythebailiffoftheking，sometimesbythebailiffsoftheAbbot。(62*)TheroyalwritsagainaredirectednottotheAbbot，buttohisbailiff。ThesamewasthecaseatStoneleigh，(63*)andindeedthisseemstohavebeentheregularcourseonancientdemesnemanors。(64*)Thiscuriouswayofignoringthelordhimselfandaddressingthewritdirectlytohisofficersseemsanoutcomeofthefundamentalassumptionthatofthesemanorstherewasnoreallordbuttheking，andthattheprivatelord’sofficerswereactingastheking’sbailiffs。

Accordingtocurrentnotionsthedemesnesofthecrownoughtnottohavebeenalienatedatall。Althoughalienatedbyonekingtheywereconsideredasliabletoberesumedbyhissuccessors。(65*)Andasamatteroffactsuchresumptionswerebynomeansunusual。EdwardIgaveanadequateexpressiontothisdoctrinewhenheorderedaninquisitionintothestateofthetenantryatStoneleigh：——hedidnotwishanyencroachmentmadeontheoldconstitutionofthemanor，forhehadalwaysinmindthepossibilitythathisroyalrightswouldberesumedbyhimselforbyoneofhissuccessors。(66*)

Ifweturntothecourtrollsofamanorwhichisactuallyintheking’shandandcomparethemwiththoseofamanorwhichhehasgrantedtosomeconventorsomeprivatelord，weseehardlyanydifferencebetweenthem。TherollsofthemanorofHaveringattheRecordOffice，althoughcomparativelylate，affordagoodinsightintotheconstitutionofamanorretainedintheking’sownhand。Theycontainagoodmanywritsofright，andthough，naturallyenough，thetenantsdonotbringactionsagainsttheking，wefindaninstanceinwhichthekingbringsanactionagainsthistenant，andpleadsbeforeacourtwhichisheldinhisownname。(67*)Thisisgoodproofthattheconditionofthetenantswasbynomeansdependentonthearbitraryactionofthemanorialofficers。WhenKingHenryIIgrantedStoneleightotheCistercianshedisplacedanumberof’rustics’fromtheirholdings，andwhiledoingthisherecognisedtheirrightandenjoinedthesheriffofWarwickshiretogivethemanequivalentforwhattheyhadlostinconsequenceofthegrant。(68*)Thenotionfromwhichallinquiryconsequentupona’Monstraverunt’

startsisalwaysthis，thatthetenantswereholdingbycertain(i。e。byfixed)servicesatthetimewhenthemanorwasintheking’sownhand。Thecertaintyisnotcreatedbythefactthatthemanorpassesawayfromthekingtosomeoneelse；itexistswhenthelandisroyallandandthereforecannotbedestroyedonlandthathasbeenalienated。SotrueisthisthatBractonandBrittongivetheiroftenciteddescriptionofprivilegedvillainagewithoutalludingtothequestionwhetherornothemanorisstillintheking’shand；(69*)Brittonevenappliesthisdescriptionprimarilytotheking’sownpossessionsbyhiswayofstatingthelawasthedirectutteranceoftheking’scommand。

Thewell-knownfactthatthe’ferm’orrentofroyalmanorswasnotalwaysfixed，thatweconstantlyhearofanincreasedrental(incrementum)leviedinadditiontotheold’ferm’，(assisaredditusantiquitusassisus)，canbeeasilyreconciledwiththisdoctrine。(70*)Theprosperityofthecountrywasgraduallyrising；bothinagriculturalcommunitiesandintownsnewtenementsandhouses，newoccupationsandrevenuesweregrowing，anditwasnottheinteresteitherofthecommunitiesorofthelordtocompressthisdevelopmentwithinanunelasticbond。Inprincipletheincreasedpaymentsfellonthisnewgrowthonthedemesne，althoughthismayinsomecaseshavebeenduetoexactionsagainstwhichthepeoplecouldremonstrateonlyinthenameofimmemorialcustom，andonlybywayofpetitionsincenobodycouldjudgetheking。Inprinciple，too，certaintyofconditionwasadmittedastotheprivilegedvillainsontheking’sdemesnes。(71*)

Thisservestoexplaintheprocedurefollowedbythecourtwhenaquestionofserviceswasraisedbyawritof’Monstraverunt。’Thefirstthing，ofcourse，wastoascertainwhetherthemanorwasancientdemesneornot，andforthispurposenothingshortofadirectmentioninDomesdaywasheldtobesufficient。(72*)Whenthisquestionhadbeensolvedintheaffirmative，ajuryhadtodecidewhatthecustomsanddutieswere，bywhichtheancestorsoftheplaintiffsheldatthetimewhenthecrownwaspossessedofthemanor。InprincipleitwasalwaysconsideredthatsuchhadbeentheservicesatthetimeoftheConquest，(73*)butpractically，ofcourse，therecouldbenoattempttoexamineintosuchancienthistory。ThemenofKing’sRiptonactuallypleadedbacktothetimeofKingCnut，andmaintainedthatnoprescriptionwasavailableagainsttheirrightsasnoprescriptioncouldavailagainsttheking。(74*)Thecourtsnaturallydeclinedtogohigherthanmencouldremember，buttheylaiddownthislimitationentirelyasoneofpracticeandnotofprinciple。(75*)MetinghamdemandedthattheclaimantsshouldmakegoodtheircontentionevenforasingledayinRichardCoeurdeLion’stime。(76*)ThemenofWyclecombinebothassertionsintheircontentionagainstMauger；theyappealtotheageofthefirstNormankings，butoffertoprovethecertaintyoftheirservicesinthereignsofRichardandJohn。(77*)

Nowallthathasbeensaidhithertoappliedto’thetenantsinancientdemesne’indiscriminately，withoutregardtoanydiversityofclassesamongthem。HithertoIhavenotnoticedanysuchdiversity，andinsodoingIamwarrantedbytheauthorities。Thoseauthoritiescommonlyspeakof’men’or’tenantsinancientdemesne’withoutanyfurtherqualification。(78*)Sometimestheexpression’conditionofancientdemesne’alsoisused。Butcloserexaminationshowsavarietyofclassesontheprivilegedsoil，andleadstoanumberofdifficultandinterestingproblems。

Tobeginwith，thenatureofthetenancyingeneralhasbeenmuchcontested。AstothelawoflatertimesMrEltonputsthecaseinthisway：’Thereisgreatconfusioninthelawbooksrespectingthistenure。Thecopyholdersofthesemanorsaresometimescalledtenantsinancientdemesne，andlandheldinthistenureissaidtopassbysurrenderandadmittance。Thisappearstobeinaccurate。Itisonlythefreeholderswhoaretenantsinancientdemesne，andtheirlandpassesbycommonlawconveyanceswithouttheinstrumentalityofthelord。EvenSirW。

Blackstoneseemstohavebeenmisleduponthispoint。Therearehowever，asarule，inmanorsofancientdemesne，customaryfreeholdersandsometimescopyholdersatthewillofthelord，aswellasthetruetenantsinancientdemesne。’(79*)Nowsuchadescriptionseemsstrangelyoutofkeepingwiththehistoryofthetenure。Blackstonespeaksofprivilegedcopyholdasdescendedfromprivilegedvillainage；(80*)andastotheconditioninthethirteenthcenturyofthose’men’or’tenantsinancientdemesne’

ofwhomwehavebeenspeaking，therecanbenodoubt。Bractonandhisfollowerslaydownquitedistinctlythattheirtenureisvillainagethoughprivilegedvillainage。Themenofancientdemesnearemenoffreebloodholdinginvillainage。(81*)AndtotakeupthespecialpointmentionedbyMrElton——conveyancebysurrenderandadmittanceisaquitenecessaryfeatureofthetenure：(82*)conveyancebychartermakesthelandfreeholdanddestroysitsancientdemesnecondition。(83*)Butalthoughthisissoclearintheauthoritiesofthethirteenthcentury，thereisundoubtedlyagreatdealofconfusioninlaterlawbooks，andreasonsarenotwantingwhichmayaccountforthisfactandforthedoctrinepropoundedbyMrEltoninconformitywithcertainmoderntreatisesanddecisions。