The seneschal was the senior official in a royal or noble household during medieval times, often by royal appointment. The nobleman may have several manors and the seneschal was in charge of them all. A thirteenth-century manuscript detailing the duties of the officials on the manor, called the Senechaucy, was translated by Elizabeth Lamond in 1890.
“The seneschal of lands ought to be prudent and faithful and profitable, and he ought to know the law of the realm, to protect his lord’s business and to instruct and give assurance to the bailiffs who are beneath him in their difficulties.”
The seneschal’s first duty was to arrange for the lands belonging to each manor to be measured and catalogued. He must calculate the crops each field can grow, and therefore how much seed should be purchased. Also how many ploughs would be needed, and how many people would do their own ploughing, sewing and reaping, and how many the manor would have to provide.
The woods and meadows, pastures and rivers needed to be catalogued too. He needed to also look at rents and sales to be sure who owns what. Any problems were to be dealt with by the seneschal if he could, if not, to present the cases to the lord.
The seneschal had no power to sack staff, or arrange wardship, marriage, or sales of land or villeins. Only under the instruction of the lord. Also, someone else had to keep the accounts, because no one should judge himself. But he did judge those under him and fine them for mistakes.
Ann Marie Thomas is the author of five medieval history books, a surprisingly cheerful poetry collection about her 2010 stroke, and the science fiction series Flight of the Kestrel, Intruders, Alien Secrets & Crisis of Conscience are out now Follow her at http://eepurl.com/bbOsyz