The History of English Law before the Time of Edward I. Frederic William Maitland

Law of attornment, Practice of alienating seignories

§ 10. Aids

Duty of aiding the lord

§ 11. Escheat and Forfeiture

Escheat, The lord’s remedies against a defaulting tenant, Action in the king’s court, Distress, Proceedings in the lord’s court, Survey of the various free tenures

§ 12. Unfree Tenure

Freehold tenure, Technical meaning of “freehold,”, Villeinage as tenure and as status, Villein tenure:, unprotected by the king’s court, Want of right and want of remedy, Protection by manorial courts, Evidence of the “extents,”, Attempt to define villein tenure, The manorial arrangement, The field system, The virgates, Villein services, A typical case of villein services, Week work and boon days, Merchet and tallage, Essence of villein tenure, The will of the lord, Villeinage and labour, Uncertainty of villein services, Tests of villeinage, Binding force of manorial custom, Treatment of villein tenure in practice, Heritable rights in villein tenements, Unity of the tenement, Alienation of villein tenements, Villein tenure and villein status

§ 13. The Ancient Demesne

The ancient demesne and other royal estates, Immunities of the ancient demesne, Once ancient demesne, always ancient demesne, Peculiar tenures on the ancient demesne, The little writ of right, The Monstraverunt, The classes of tenants, Bracton’s theory, Theory and practice, Difficulties of classification, Sokemanry and socage, Later theory and practice, Why is a special treatment of the ancient demesne necessary?, The king and the conquest settlement, Royal protection of royal tenants, Customary freehold, No place for a tenure between freehold and villeinage, The conventioners, Conclusion

       CHAPTER II. The Sorts and Conditions of Men

      Law of personal condition, Status and estate

       § 1. The Earls and Barons

      The baronage, Privileges of the barons

       § 2. The Knights

       Knighthood

       § 3. The Unfree

      The unfree, General idea of serfage, Relativity of serfage, The serf in relation to his lord, Rightlessness of the serf, Serfdom de iure and serfdom de facto, Covenant between lord and serf, The serf in relation to third persons, The serf’s property, Difficulties of relative serfdom, The serf in relation to the state, How men become serfs, Servile birth, Mixed marriages, Influence of the place of birth, Villeins by confession,