176 MANORIAL ADMINISTRATION
addition to their rents we find them paying fourpence or eight-
pence each ad stipendium praepositi* But it was not the money
which he received that made up the main part of the reeve's
rewards. These he gleaned from three main sources: re-
mission of rent, temporary grants of special pieces of meadow or
close and relaxation of many services. It is very common to find
that the reeve for the time being is excused all, or a part, of his
yearly rent. The custom varied, but the general principle was in
accord with common sense and justice. The reeve was much
occupied with the lord's affairs, and necessarily could give only
partial attention to his own strips, and it was not reasonable
that he should pay so much for them as in ordinary years. Hence,
the Eynsham monks excused their reeve the whole of his rent;
on another lord's manor half was relinquished, and on yet
another five shillings only was allowed.2 Each manor had its own
custom, and there is no apparent reason for the variations.
From earlier chapters the value of grazing privileges will have
been realised, and these formed one of the most highly esteemed
perquisites of the reeve's office. At times these took the form of
permission to turn out his cattle on the lord's own reserved
fields, as at Glastonbury, where the reeve has the right to graze
his team of eight oxen with the lord's cattle in the demesne
meadows.3 In other places, the reeve could claim sustenance for
his beasts, as on one of the manors of the Dean and Chapter of
Wells, where he was entitled to half an acre of meadow to main-
tain his draught horse throughout the winter, as well as pasturage
for it in summer.4 On other manors again certain closes were set
apart for his use. We have the " Refhammes", consisting of two
plots of pasture, allotted to a Glastonbury reeve;5 or the five
capecia of meadow allotted to the reeve on one of the Ramsey
manors6 as examples of this. As a further reward he was some-
times given a share of the crops on the lord's demesne, as well as.
what he was able to grow for himself. He is kept severely in his.
place, however, by the quality of these gifts. The Glastonbury
1 Battle Cttstamals* 7, 10, n, etc. Cf. Norf. Arch, xx, 191.
* Eynsham Cart. II, 137; CaL Inquis. Misc. I, 64; Castlecombe, 146.
* Glas. Rentalia^ 243, and cf. 94.
4 Hist. MSS. Com. Wells, I, 343; and cf. Ramsey Cart. I, 496.
5 Glas. Rentalia, 140; and cf. 243 "the reevis meadow".
* Ramsey Cart. I, 433; cf. also Bleadont 194.