The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-17
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Tho Industrial History of England.

Tho Industrial History of England.
There arc books embodying tho outcome Of orig
inal research which discuss at length English
history from tho viewpoint Of political economy.
Among them may DO named Thorold Rogers 8
Work and Wages" Cunnngham's Growth OF
English History" and hshleys Economic His
tory" Tho arst handbook. however presenting
IN compact form the data collected and the conclu-
ons roaohed by tho first hand students Of tho sub
iect In tho volume entitled Landmarks In Enoltsh
InduStrfaI History, by George Townsend Warner
Macmllans) within the compass OF some $50
pages tho author brings out the salient features OF
Bnglands industrial and commercial progress
from the Norman Conquest 70 our own day. The
tito Ia to some extent misleading for economic
history is by It's nature, barren Of incidents. and
relatively destitute Of great landmarks The
ordinary reader would DO able 70 mention ten poll
honl or constitutional events TO one economic
event Economic history is the history Of causes,
and tendencies and policies and most Of these act
very slowly The movement is gradual that
"a only whom comparison Is made over consider.
able periods that one can I've sure that movement
u going on at all Again. economic history Is
not often influenced by human personality or char
actor there none OF the flashes Of personal In
sorost which biography gives; what dramatic In
toros II has Is gained from tho rapid succession
Of incidents or from the varying turns OF fortune
but from tho slow intensity and resislessness OF
the causes which 1t reveals at work. The authors
selection OF topics has had 10 be made from mass
Of events few of which, at first sight stand out
Of much greater importance than the rest Isoat
cd facts neglected; attention Is fastened upon
the links in tho long chain Of social evolution or
Of industrial development, Of commercial policy.
Among the indubtnble landmarks in England's
economic history is tho 80 called Black Death"
which, TO 80 largo extent, depopulated the
country In the middle OF the fourteenth century
Before marking what the author has TO say about
that catastrophe, however, we should glance at
iho manoral system to which the postllonce gave
q serious blow. There is no doubt that. for some
time before thl Norman Conquest, as well as for a
long time after it, the general form OF land holding
was that Of the manor. The whole OF the cult
waited land fell into two species demcsnc land,
that is TO say land cultivated entirely for the
benefit OF the lord Of the manor, which land might
consist Of n separate enclosed portion or OF hold
ngs scattered among the holdings Of the villagers
~ Of both and land held in villcnage that Is land
1t a from the lord by his tenants, who were unfrce
and bound TO pay certain services 10 tho lord
Tn, amount OF land owned by each tenant and tho
services due to the lord depended on his status
Two main classes Of tenants be disting uished
the ordinary holding was vrgato, or yardland
usually thirty acres held in scattered strips the
holder Of a virgate was called viein (rLanus)
Next camc the borders, cOttcrs Cbovddrii or
coIri0 the general size Of whose holdings was one
or two acres though II sometimes rose to five or
The c6tters did not possess either oxen or |
a plough, and wore in a decidedly lower position |
than the vrins Both the villens and cotters
uufrcc, hut their position was not that OF |
a slave: slave is bound 10 his master his servi
tud' il personal: he IL destitute OF rights he may
h. called upon TO do anything No doubt on |
thr first coming OF the Normans the new lords |
OF manors made OF some actual slaves either !
on their land or in their houses. But the villcns |
and cottcrs territorial scrfs, bound to the |
soil. in connection with which they had to perform |
certain fixed services They were not destitute OF |
rights in general opinion at any rate: how far |
these rights could bo enforced by law was another
matter Services wnrc paid in labor on the lords |
demesnr ana out Of the very great vare of them |
two main classes emerged: week work" that Is |
labor for certain days, week regularly all the |
year around, vlleins generally giving three days |
work and cottcrs two; and boon work" (precariae)
which extra labor in addition TO the week |
work at times Of the year when there was special |
need for it. such boon work would be demanded |
at harvest, hny-making and ploughing time In |
addition to week work and boon work. there were |
often small tributes and payments in kind; fowls
and eggs bushels of oats, etc; and tho vii |
layers had 10 do what carting tho lord required.
These duties discharged, tho tenant had tho rest |
Of his time 10 work his own holding. 1t is |
evident that the principal task in managing q |
manorial estate would be to sce that the vleins
and other tenants paid their services duly and TO
supcrintend them at their work Such work.
when i'll looked after would tend to be minimized
for tho laborer had no inducemcnt to work hard
and in the case Of boon work, the villen had every
incentive 10 cvadc or put of fulillInent OF his
duty The time when the demesno land needed
extra labor would be Just the time when tho vii
lager would be anxious TO work on his own land
In such times IA hay making and harvest whom
delay might mean a change OF weather and lost
crop II was most irksomo to be called oil to gather
the lords hay reap his harvest Consequently,
there were needed on each manor officials whose
business WAS to exact the vllcin's scrvces
II IL certain that, however confused may be tho
question OF free tenancy. many who had been OIL
ginally serfs became free in the course OF the two
centuries and half which interviewed between the
compilation Of Domcsday Book and the Black
Death. There was still larger class who had
got their services committed for money. without
thereby gaining freedom. Tho custumals, or
registers OF the manor, recorded tho money value
OF tho services, al first doubt for the sake OF the
fine to which defaulting vlllcin was liable But.
II the fne was adequate compensation for
the loss OF the days labor, the lord might prefer
TO accept II, No distinction in principle would
arise between payments in lieu OF week work and
payments in lieu Of boon work In any year when
II was convenient for tho lord TO permit commute
ton, he would permit it, provided the tenant was
able to pay. 1t might be that the boon work would
be exacted longer than the week work inasm,ch
as labor enough might be hired for ordinary sea
sons, while In harvest seedtime every one
would be busy and labor scarce. II is TO be noted
that the task Of carting TO have been rarely
committed. But the whole question was one 10
be decided on principles Of advantage or disad-
vantage; there was no sentimental desire on the
part OF the lords To keep their tenants In condi-
ton OF serfdom, though they would naturally
prefer to get rs much possible from them either
In the shape Of work or money. Furthermore,
there was very little that could he described under
tho term rights" The lord had a right 10 a GER
tain amount OF labor, and could innict punish
ment generally a fine II the labor were not paid
II Is not clear however, that he had any right TO
claim the fine in place OF the labor, nor IN tba