We have been looking at the instruction manual for the staff of a medieval manor or lordship, called the
Seneschaucy. We covered the
seneschal, the
bailiff and the
reeve. Now we come to the hayward, one I hadn’t heard of. But it does throw light on the village where my paternal grandparents lived: Haywards Heath in West Sussex, England.
Haywards Heath 1932
The hayward ought to be an active and sharp man, for he must, early and late, look after and go around and keep the woods, corn and meadows and other things belonging to his office, and he ought to make attachments and approvements faithfully, and make the delivery by pledge before the reeve, and deliver them to the bailiff to be heard.
Google says: Hayward, or “hedge warden”, was an officer of an English parish dating from the Middle Ages in charge of fences and enclosures; also, a herdsman in charge of cattle and other animals grazing on common land. Their main job was to protect the crops of the village from livestock.
The Seneschaucy continues: And he ought to sow the lands, and be over the ploughers and harrowers at the time of each sowing. And he ought to make all the boon-tenants and customary-tenants who are bound and accustomed to come, do so, to do the work they ought to do.
And in haytime he ought to be over the mowers, the making, the carrying, and in August assemble the reapers and the boon-tenants and the labourers and see that the corn be properly and cleanly gathered; and early and late watch so that nothing be stolen or eaten by beasts or spoilt. And he ought to tally with the provost all the seed, and boon-work, and customs and labour, which ought to be done in the manor throughout the year, and what it amounts to the bailiff tallies and accounts for, and they ought to answer on the account for the rest.
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, all out now. Follow her at http://eepurl.com/bbOsyz and get free books.
