246 EVERYDAY LIFE
for incontinency—Leyrwite, or lecherwite, as it was called. As it
is put in a Glastonbury record, the lord must have his fine
" whenever one of the bondswomen is unchaste of her body,
whereby my lord loseth the sale of her".1 Since in strict law the
serf was the absolute property of her master, anything she did to
depreciate her value was to his loss. Hence the lord felt he had
every right to be interested; and, as Maitland puts it," to exercise
a paternal control in the interests of morality". We may perhaps
doubt how far morality was an urgent consideration: here was
another opportunity to make a profit out of his serfs—and the
lord took it! The Court Rolls—such as those of Halesowen, for
example—illustrate the constant vigilance that the lord and his
agents exerted: cases of immorality occur as a constant item of
business and the offender is fined.2 To make doubly sure, the
onus of reporting such cases was a communal responsibility, and
we find manorial jurors fined for neglecting to present offenders
at the earliest possible moment.3
At the same time, it must be remembered, that incontinency
was primarily an offence which came under the jurisdiction of the
Church: the lord, therefore, was not only concerned because his
property was depreciated, but also because the Church exacted
fines from the serf (which theoretically were fines from him).
Hence the rule that stewards should make enquiry in the manor
court "whether any bondman's unmarried daughter hath com-
mitted fornication and been convened in chapter, and what she
hath given to the [rural] dean for her correction".4 Two cases
from the Abbot of Ramsey's manors will illustrate the lord's point
of view: "Richard Dyer a married man was convicted in the
chapter [court] of adultery with a certain woman.. .and so lost
the chattels of the Lord. Therefore he is in mercy. The amerce-
ment is forgiven."5 The words in italics show the gravamen of
the charge: in this case the lord was merciful, but his rights were
put on record and thus safeguarded.
An even more interesting case is reported from the same manor
1 Villainage, 154.
2 Op. cit. 107,120,124,161, 221, 230, etc. The Cartularies (e.g. Ramsey, I,
3OQi 3I4> 3i?> 339, etc.) constantly assert the lord's right to leyrwyte.
8 Op. cit. 310; Abbots Langley, 26 b; Wroxall Records, 29.
4 Selden Soc. rv, 102.
5 Ibid, n, 97.