• 17 Dec, 2025 *

A Short Account of Authority, Obligations, and the Matter of Sheep

What follows is not a record from the time, but a modern look at how authority, obligation, and daily life were structured in a medieval village.

In the fourteenth century, a village was not governed by chance, nor by goodwill alone. It was governed by custom, by obligation, and by a clearly understood order of authority, whether the villagers liked it or not.

Though the lord of the manor stood at the top, daily life was shaped by a chain of officials whose business it was to ensure rents were paid, labour was rendered, and rules were observed — particularly those involving land, livestock, and behaviour deemed unsuitable.

This is how it worked.

The Lord of the Manor

Holder of rights, receiver of profits

The Lord of the Manor held legal control over the land and those who worked it. Villagers did not generally own their fields outright; instead, they held strips of land in return for rents, labour services, and various customary duties.

The lord:

• Received rents, fines, and produce
• Claimed labour services from tenants
• Held the right to the manor court
• Benefited from nearly all arrangements

In many cases, the lord was not resident in the village. His authority was present even when he was not.

Therefore decisions were made in his name, rules were enforced on his behalf, and grievances were addressed upwards — often without reply.

The lord was:

• Rarely seen
• Regularly mentioned, rarely encountered
• And entirely confident of his entitlement

Rents, Labour, and Customary Obligation

Rent in a medieval village did not always take the form of coin.

Tenants might owe:

• Days of labour on the lord’s demesne (land)
• A portion of their crops
• Fees for use of the mill, oven, or pasture
• Fines for breaches of local custom

Many of these duties were justified as customs — long-established practice, handed down and rarely questioned.

These customs had the advantage of being difficult to trace, impossible to challenge, and extremely flexible when enforced.

Folding the Village Sheep 🐑

Sheep played an important role in village life, not least for their wool and manure.

Sheep folding involved penning sheep overnight on arable land so their dung might fertilise the soil. This practice was valuable and therefore closely regulated.

Authority over sheep folding often lay with the lord or his officials, who determined things like:

• When sheep could be folded
• Where they might be penned
• Whose sheep were permitted on which strips

As a result, sheep folding frequently gave rise to arguments between neighbours, accusations of encroachment, disputes over fouled land, and fines for unauthorised folding.

A well-run village required careful oversight of this matter, commonly through An Annual Sheep Folding Schedule (Subject to amendment, appeal, and occasional disregard), obvs.

The Steward

Governor of accounts and authority

The steward acted as the lord’s chief representative.

He:

• Managed the manor’s finances
• Oversaw rents and records
• Presided over or organised manor courts and interpreted custom with confidence

The steward was usually literate and accustomed to written records. His authority derived directly from the lord, and his word carried weight.

Where rules were unclear, the steward clarified them. Where records were missing, he supplied them. Where disagreement arose, he cited precedent.

The Bailiff

Enforcer of duty and collector of dues

The bailiff handled the practical enforcement of the manor’s demands.

His responsibilities included:

• Collecting rents and fines
• Organising labour services
• Supervising agricultural work
• Ensuring compliance with manor regulations

The bailiff was a visible presence in village life and was often unpopular, though seldom ignored.

He was known to remind villagers: “I enforce only what is required.”

The Reeve

Chosen from the village, blamed by the village

The reeve was selected from among the villagers themselves.

His duties included:

• Keeping accounts
• Reporting offences
• Overseeing agricultural arrangements
• Representing the village to the lord’s officials

The reeve occupied an uncomfortable position: they were responsible to authority, dependent on neighbours, and compensated little, if at all.

He was trusted by none and blamed by many.

The Constable

Keeper of order

The constable was responsible for maintaining peace within the village.

He:

• Dealt with disturbances
• Assisted in enforcing proclamations
• Escorted offenders when required
• Upheld order during gatherings and courts

He was not a soldier, nor a judge, but a practical figure tasked with preventing matters from worsening.

Villeins, Serfs, and Other Tenants

Most villagers fell into the category of villeins — unfree tenants tied to the land.

They owed labour services, required permission to marry, move, or transfer land, and were subject to manor courts.

Others were free tenants, who paid rent but were not legally bound to the land.

In daily life, these distinctions mattered greatly in records and courts — and less so when work was required.

In Conclusion

A medieval village was not governed by simplicity, but by layers.

Authority flowed downward: lord → steward → bailiff → reeve → villagers

Responsibility flowed upward: villagers → reeve → bailiff → steward → lord

And confusion moved freely in all directions.

In such a system, rules flourished, records multiplied, and sheep were very carefully watched.