BOON WORKS in
demands that were made: sometimes the lord demanded help
only on every other day; sometimes only after the peasants had
got in their own hay; sometimes the head of the house went only
to the first boon, and so on :l but in general we may say confi-
dently that these boons drew the majority of the able-bodied
folk of the village from looking after their own crops at a vital
time, and forced them to devote their attention to those of the
lord.2 He usually provided good meals and drink in order to
help matters, but here again custom varied greatly. Generally,
however, there were a number of "wet" boons, and a number of
"dry" boons. At the "wet" boons, ale or cider, either in con-
siderable quantities, or "at discretion", was provided; at the
"dry" boons only water was given! The food was plentiful,
generally consisting of a dish of flesh or fish, pottage (of peas or
beans) with bread and cheese to conclude.3 The Abbot of Battle's
serfs, in order to placate them, had the right at the second and third
"boons" to bring a comrade to the supper where they were to
be, as they say, "solemniter depasti".4
Other "extras", besides meals and drink, were at times pro-
vided as an inducement. In connection with the boon services at
hay-making there was a widespread custom whereby the lord
released a sheep into the meadow. On some manors it became
the property of the serfs only if they could catch it before it
escaped out of the field ;5 on other manors it was handed over to
them for their feast as part of their reward; while on others
again a definite money payment was made to them by the lord,
called medsipe or madsheep* in lieu of the beast itself. As well as
this they were frequently allowed to take some of the hay for their
own use. On certain Ramsey manors the peasants were allowed to
carry home so much hay or straw as they can bind in a single bundle
and lift upon their sickle [or scythe] handle, so that the handle touch
1 Ramsey Cart. I, 49, 354; II, 6.
2 V.C.H. Beds, n, 80; Glouc. Cart, m, 119, 170; Battle Cust. p. 59.
8 Univ. Lib. Camb. MSS. Kk. v, 29, ff. 29, 103, 104; Battle Cust. 87;
Court Rolky 998/21, 1030/3,1030/6; and cf. Glouc. and Ramsey Cart, passim.
4 Battle Cust. xxxix.
5 Ramsey Cart. I, 298, 307, 476; Glouc. Cart, m, 64. Cf. Pembroke Survey,
xcii; " the ram was brought to the centre of the field; if it remained quietly
grazing then the customary tenants claimed it, but if it wandered out of the
field they lost it and the abbess had it restored to her".
6 Univ. Lib. Camb. MSS. Kk. v, 29, f. 69; Eynsham Cart. II, 24; Blom-
field, Norfolk, I, 315; Col. Inquis. n, 313; Min. Accounts, 859/23, etc.