Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/370

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274

ON CERTAIN OBSCURE WORDS

oves et 15 denarios ..... In Talcarn dimid. liida terræ. Reddebat imum bovem," &c.^[1]

In the succeeding century we have a charter of Walter de Clavile granting to the priory of Canons Leigh, among other things, " decimam reddituum meorum in gablis, et in redditu molendinorum, et in redditu ovium de Hockeday^[2]." (Oliver's Monasticon Exon., p. 227. Num. II.)

In the Extent of the lands of De la Pomeray, in the Testa de Nevill, f. 186, the "nativi operarii" (i.e. the customary tenants owing agricultural and other labour to their lord) are stated to render yearly at Hockeday 4 sheep or 2s. In the same record, among the free tenants of the bishopric of Exeter (liberè tenentes de episcopatu) assessed to the aid levied by Henry HI. on the marriage of his sister, we find a long list of tenants rendering to the bishop money rents, sheep, aids, and various agricultural services : thus

"Rogerus clericus [tenet] dim. acram et dim. ferling" pro 15d. et dimid. ove et 8^va parte ovis et auxilio, ut alii." (f. 203.)

"Will. Travail un. acram et ferling' pro 2s. 6d. et un. ove et quartâ parte unius ovis, et arura et seura et auxilio, ut alii." (lb.)

The above, which are only two out of a long series of similar entries, furnish examples of fractional sheep rendered by the bishop's tenants. Another and later rental of the see, to be noticed presently, exhibits the same feature.

One of the first occasions on which I have met with the word berbiage is in the Inquisitio post mortem of Earl Edmund, taken in 29 Edw. I.^[3] It is there named under several manors; thus, under Liskerreth (Liskeard), we have, among other rents of the conventionary and villan tenants, " De ber- biagio eorundem" (i. e. conventionariorum) " et villanorum, ad Pascham, 13^s 5^d

Under Tibesta, in another part of Cornwall, the liberè tenentes, or freeholders, are said to render "de berbiagio ad eundem terminum S^ti. Michaelis, 5^s 11^d." The same payment is made in Clymesland. In these three manors, and in that of Calstock, the berbiage rents continued to be payable by certain tenants down to a very recent period.

↑ Vol. i. f. 121. The Exon Domesday shews the rent to be annual.
↑ Dugdale, who gives an inspeximus charter of the Clavile grant, has misread or misprinted the word " ovium," and substituted "dominii." Dr. Oliver has restored the true reading,
↑ It will. probably, be found in some of the ministers' accounts in the time of the earl himself, of which there is a remarkably fine roll of the date of 25 Edw. I. among the records of the exchequer.

[1] Vol. i. f. 121. The Exon Domesday shews the rent to be annual.

[2] Dugdale, who gives an inspeximus charter of the Clavile grant, has misread or misprinted the word " ovium," and substituted "dominii." Dr. Oliver has restored the true reading,

[3] It will. probably, be found in some of the ministers' accounts in the time of the earl himself, of which there is a remarkably fine roll of the date of 25 Edw. I. among the records of the exchequer.

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