Treść książki

Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
Asearlyasthetwelfthcenturysomelordshadadoptedthecommutationoffield
serviceswithmoneypaymentsreplacingthecompulsorylabouroftheserfsonthose
lords'fields.Forthemoneythelordearnedinthiswayhecouldhirementoworkon
hisdemesnelands,whichthankstothisweremuchbettercultivatedthanbyfarmers
calledfromtheirlabourontheirownstripsofland.
Thesituationofthelordswasaggravatedinthesecondhalfofthefourteenthcentury
whenintheaftermathoftheBlackDeaththerewasashortageofmentotilltheland.
Inconsequence,moreandmorelordsconsentedtocommutefieldservicesforcash
andmoreandmoreserfscouldsavethismoneytobuytheirfreedomandpaymoney
rentfortheirfarms.8Manylandownersleasedtheirdemesnelandstoanewclassof
yeomanfarmerswhooftenpaidtheirrentsinkind,supplyingthehouseholdofthe
lordwithfoodanddrink.Anotherconsequenceofthelabourshortagewastheproc-
essofenclosuresandtransformationfromlandcultivationtosheepkeeping,whichin
turnboostedwoolproductionandthetextileindustryinEngland.9Othersignificant
eventsthataffectedthesocialchangesmentionedaboveweretheHundredYears'
WarandtheWarsoftheRosesasaconsequenceofwhichmanyofthegreatfami-
lieswhoopposedtheTudorsdiedoutinthestruggles,andanewdynastyresulted.
Consequently,bythe1540sanewclasswithinthearistocracyhadbecomeestab-
lishedwhoweretobefurtherenriched.Thisnewaristocracywasaclassofcountry
gentlemencalledgentry,whoseprominenceincreasedsignificantlyaftertheWarsof
theRoses.TheTudorperiodbroughtaboutafurtherincreaseintheirwealthand
power,partlybytheireasypurchaseofmonasticlands,partlybythechangesinthe
agriculturaleconomyoftheirestates.BytheendofHenryVIII'sreign,two-thirdsof
theCrown'spropertiesthatcamefromthedissolutionofthemonasterieshadbeen
soldtopeersandgentry.Manyoftheesquireshadotherinterestsbesidesland,e.g.
intheclothtradeandcommerceoverseas.Thesewerehard-workingandpractical
people,whofindingfertilegroundforthemselves,grewinwealthandinfluence.10
8
Althoughtheservicesofthevilleinswerechangedintomoneyrents,somelordsoftencontinued
toclaimotherserviledues,suchas‘merchet'(moneypaidbyavillaintohislordforpermission
tomarryortohavehissonordaughtermarried)or‘heriot'(paymentofmostvaluableanimalor
possession,sometimescommutedtoamoneypayment,bytheheirofadeceasedtenanttothede-
ceased'slord).A.Savine,“BondmenUndertheTudors”,TransactionsoftheRoyalHistorical
Society,newseries,17(1903),pp.235–289.
9
ForthesituationinEnglandduringandaftertheBlackDeathseeC.Platt,KingDeath:The
BlackDeathanditsAftermathinLate-MedievalEngland(London,1996).SeealsoJ.Hatcher,
Plague,PopulationandtheEnglishEconomy,1348–1530(London,1977);M.M.Postan,
TheMedievalEconomyandSociety:AnEconomicHistoryofBritainintheMiddleAges
(London,1972).
10
SeeK.O.Morgan,TheOxfordIllustratedHistoryofBritain(Oxford,1984),p.181.
~37~