Wordsworth's Guide 1810, edn 1835
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page 42
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land tenure border service |
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[king]dom. We will, therefore, give a sketch of the economy
of the Abbots in the distribution of lands among their
tenants, as similar plans were doubtless adopted by other
Lords, and as the consequences have affected the face of the
country materially to the present day, being, in fact, one
of the principal causes which give it such a striking
superiority, in beauty and interest, over all other parts of
the island.
"When the Abbots of Furness," says an author before cited, "enfranchised their villains, and raised them to the dignity of customary tenants, the lands, which they had cultivated for their lord, were divided into whole tenements; each of which, besides the customary annual rent, was charged with the obligation of having in readiness a man completely armed for the king's service on the borders, or elsewhere; each of these whole tenements was again subdivided into four equal parts; each villain had one; and the party tenant contributed his share to the support of the man at arms, and of other burdens. These divisions were not properly distinguished; the land remained mixed; each tenant had a share through all the arable and meadow-land, and common of pasture over all the wastes. The sub-tenements were judged sufficient for the support of so many families; and no further division was permitted. These divisions and sub-divisions were convenient at the time for which they were calculated: the land, so |
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gazetteer links
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-- Furness Abbey | ||
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