Manor Steward History

A steward was also in charge of keeping track of everything that went on in a manor. He kept records of the manor’s income and expenses (“Types of Manorial"). Expenses included purchases of livestock or food, repairs to buildings, and labor pay (“Types of Manorial"). A manor’s income came from regular fees, sales of food or livestock, and fines people paid for crimes against the manor (“Types of Manorial"). He also asked and recorded how the farms were tilled, what crops were planted, and how the horses/livestock were kept (Halsall). Other records that the steward took were rent records, which stated all the tenants on a manor, how much land they held, and the rents that they had to pay (“Types of Manorial"). Manor records also included the

The steward was the judge in the manor court, and he handled most court related matters (Cels 20). The manor court could fine the lord, and peasants could petition their lord (if he was really that bad) (Jones and Ereira 26). Since the steward was in charge of the court and all hearings/trials (Wheeler), he lead these discussions and would instill the fine. Additionally, part of a steward’s job in court was to sort out peasant disagreements, defend the lord’s right, and to punish criminals (Chrisp 9). The steward was generally one of two people who could read and write, so he was basically the only person who could take legitimate reports. Stewards did record everything that occured on the manor. He even took notes on who was doing their job, or making the manor profit the most and also who was not doing the work they were required to do, and making the manor lose money (Carlin). He inquired the reeve, bailiff, hayward, or other servants to gain this information (Carlin). This helped the manor because it could maximize its profit, and hire people who would help the manor thrive. And the manor was a considerable element to feudalism’s success, so having precise documents on manorial affairs would be necessary. The seneschal also took note of all the products, so if someone were accused of theft, the steward could disprove, or support the accusation (Carlin). In addition to the quantity of products, he knew their value. The steward recorded the value of the manor itself, and the gardens and woods, mills, and even the rents and services that were added to the total. This would be especially useful if the manor was in need of money, and was looking for items to sell or even just rent out (“Types of Manorial"). The manor was one of the main reasons that feudalism survived, so it was incredibly practical to have a steward to keep the