FAMILY AGREEMENTS 253
had nothing to live upon and must needs seek the charity of a
relative or neighbour. More frequently she made an agreement
with her relatives or some other person whereby she handed over
her land in return for an adequate home and proper provision
for her food and clothing. On some manors, at least, this matter
was not left as a private affair, which could be easily repudiated,
but constituted a definite binding agreement, which was enrolled
at the Manor Court and received the lord's assent. We may take
as a good example a case at Hales, in 1281, wherein a son and
his mother came to an agreement whereby Agnes, widow of
Thomas Brid, surrendered to Thomas her elder son
all the land she held in the vill or in other places, on condition that
he will, so long as she lives, honourably and fully provide for her as
follows. At Michaelmas next she shall receive from him a quarter of
wheat, a quarter of oats, and a bushel of peas. On All Saints' Day
(i Nov.) she shall have five cart-loads of sea-coal. Eight days before
Christmas she is to have a quarter of wheat, a quarter of oats and a
bushel of peas; on Good Friday a quarter of wheat and a quarter of
oats; at Pentecost 55. of good money; and at Midsummer half a
quarter of wheat and a quarter of oats. Also Thomas engages to build
at his own expense a suitable house for Agnes to live in, 30 feet in
length and 14 feet in width within the walls, of timber with three new
doors and two windows. And the aforesaid shall be carried out fully
from year to year so long as Agnes shall live. Thomas shall bring the
things to her door, or send them by one of his family. And Thomas
will answer to the lord for all customs and services known to belong to
the land. If Thomas has not the grain ready at the time, he must pay
her its value according to the price of the better grain in the market,
outside seed corn. And if it should happen that the terms of this
agreement are not carried out Thomas binds himself to pay half a
mark to the Pittancer of the Convent, so often as Agnes, with the
testimony of two lawful men, shall find it necessary to appeal to the
Abbot and the Convent. If this should be the case Agnes can forth-
with resume possession of the land and deal with it as she pleases in
spite of the agreement. And to ensure the perpetual force and
memory of the agreement, before it was recited word for word in the
full court, itwas written down in the rental of the Abbey bythe wish of
both parties, Nicholas then being Abbot, and brother Geoffrey the
Cellarer.1
Here we see that Agnes is to have a house, money and corn at
stated intervals, while other entries in these same rolls show that
1 Hales Rolls, 166.