We have been looking at the instruction manual for the staff of a medieval manor or lordship, called the Seneschaucy. We’ve covered so many different jobs, and we come to the last two: the auditors and (next time) the lord himself. I never expected there to be auditors, but it seems everybody gets checked up on, as can be seen from this extract:
The auditors ought to be faithful and prudent, knowing their business and all the points and articles of the account in rents, in outlays, in returns of the grange and stock, and other things belonging thereto. And the accounts ought to be heard at each manor and then one can know the profit and loss, the doings and improvements of the seneschal, bailiff, reeve and others, for as much as they have done of profit or loss can be seen by the account in a day or two, and then can soon be seen the sense or the folly of these said seneschals, bailiffs, and provosts; and then can the auditors take inquest of the doings which are doubtful and hear the complaints of each plaintiff and make the fines.
The seneschal ought to be joined with the auditors, not as head or companion but as subordinate, for he must answer to the auditors on the account for his doings and for his commandments and approvements done by him on the manors and for necessary expenses, just as another. Let the bailiff and the reeve be united to render their account of each manor fully, for all things relating to the manors in rents, outlays, and all other returns, for it is not right that the reeve, who is the lord’s chattel, and who reasonably must know much less than the bailiff, should be punished or answer for the doings of the bailiff, as the bailiff is in the pay of the lord and in commandments and advantages and presents is his head and superior, and ought by his sense and instruction to direct and keep the manor and the reeve and all who belong to the manor.
The auditors ought on their account to the bailiff to forbid that any comble of corn be received from the grange into the garner, but that one takes nine quarters for eight by sure measure striked from the stackers, and that the bushels and half-bushels and the cantles and the rest which were wont to be hidden and forgotten, and are to the advantage of the reeve if not tallied, be all tallied with and all accounted for with the other, for it is much better to have a little waste for the garner than lose so much a year, which will amount to much yearly as may be clearly seen. And he must forbid through the bailiffs and reeves that any horse, or aver, cow, young aver, wether, ewe, or hog be in any wise flayed without inspection and knowledge of the fault by which it died, for the peril mentioned above. It is not necessary so to speak to the auditors about making audit because of their office, for they ought to be so prudent, and so faithful, and so knowing in their business, that they have no need of other teaching about things connected with the account.
Ann Marie Thomas is the author of five medieval history books, a surprisingly cheerful poetry collection about her 2010 stroke and two further poetry collections, and the science fiction series Flight of the Kestrel, of which there are four books are out now. Follow her at http://eepurl.com/bbOsyz and get free books.
