viii
PREFACE
Gervase of Canterbury (below, ρ. 253) has apparently never
been considered in its bearing on the communal movement
nor has its early reference to the new office of mayor been
previously noted. The appendix on the barons of London and
of the Cinque Ports will, it is Jioped, do something to remove
that uncertainty as to the precise origin and meaning of the
title which is found in the older books.
With some hesitation, I have appended my British
Academy lecture of 1921 on the study of early municipal
history in England. It much needed revision and may serve
as a general introduction to the post-Conquest studies and a
supplement to their casual treatment of the Seignorial borough.
I have to thank the editor and publishers of the English
Historical Review, the Council of the British Academy, and the
Tout Memorial Committee for kind permissions to reprint
articles. My indebtedness to younger scholars who have
kept me in touch with recent research in borough archives,
closed to me by impaired eyesight and advancing years, will
be found frequently acknowledged in footnotes.
JAMES TAIT.
The University,
Manchester, March 7th, 1936.
CONTENTS
FAGB
Preface
Addenda .
XI
xiii
Bibliography
THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD
CHAF *
I. The Origins of the Borough ..... 1-29
i. Introductory ....... ɪ
2. Before the Danish Invasions .... 5
3. The New Burhs fortified in the Danish Wars . 15
4. After Fortification ...... 25
II. Borough and Court ...... 30-67
I. The pre-Domesday Evidence .... 30
2. The Domesday Evidence ..... 43
Note on the “ small Borough ” of Seasalter in Kent 67
III. The Borough Fields and Pastures . . . 68-77
IV. The Burgesses and their Tenure . . . 78-112
I. Social Status of the Anglo-Saxon Burgesses . . 79
2. “ The Customs of Burgesses ”. . . . 86
3. Tenure by Custom and Burgage Tenure . . 96
4. Burgage Tenure ɪn Northern France in the eleventh
century ....... ιo8
V. The Borough Community before 1066 . . . 113-129
i. The Burgesses as Agricultural Community . 114
2. TheBurgessesasTradingCommumty. . . 117
3 The Burgesses as Revenue-rendering and Admini-
strative Community ..... 123
VI. Summary and General Conclusion to 1066 . . 130-138
ix