495:. As part of the contract with the lord of the manor, they were expected to spend some of their time working on the lord's fields in return for land. Villeins existed under a number of legal restrictions that differentiated them from freemen, and could not leave without his lord's permission. Generally, villeins held their status not by birth but by the land they held, and it was also possible for them to gain
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631:. A variety of kinds of villeinage existed in Western Europe and it is impossible to arrive at a precise definition which satisfies them all. Different times and countries dealt with villeinage in slightly different ways. Some villeins had clearly defined and limited responsibilities to their lords, while others were essentially at their lords' whim.
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Villeinage was not a purely exploitative relationship. In the Middle Ages, land guaranteed sustenance and survival; being a villein guaranteed access to land. Landlords rarely evicted villeins, because of the value of their labour. Villeinage was much preferable to being a landless labourer (such as
657:
fine was very often used against a villein's petition for freedom, since paying it proved a villein status. However, except to their own lords, they were free men in the eyes of the law. Villeins were generally able to have their own property, unlike slaves.
638:, villeins were expected to pay dues and services in exchange for land. They were bound to serve their lords and only had one or two acres of land to use. Villeins were tied to the land and could not move away without their lord's consent.
750:
584:(r. 284–305 CE) in an attempt to prevent the flight of peasants from the land and the consequent decline in food production. The decree obliged peasants to register in their locality and never leave it.
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If an unfree villein allows his daughter into a marriage with a man from another manor, a fine must be paid to the lord as a fee for the loss of future villeins that could have been borne by the woman.
872:
673:. Many villeins were in villeinage because of the land they held, rather than by birth. They could become free men if their lord agreed with them to move them to a different holding.
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preserves the definition of "neighbour or inhabitant of a village or town", but it also accepts the derogatory use, which is very similar to the Modern
English
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Villeinage, as opposed to other forms of serfdom, was most common in
Western European feudalism, where land ownership had developed from roots in
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from their lords. The villeinage system largely died out in
England in 1500, with some forms of villeinage being in use in France until 1789.
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685:. However, during the High Middle Ages, villeins could be willingly sold by their lords who could allow their families to be split up.
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563:, meaning "slave". A villein was thus a bonded tenant, so he could not leave the land without the landowner's consent.
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580:, or large agricultural estate. The system of tied serfdom originates from a decree issued by the late Roman Emperor
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had reduced the rural population and the bargaining power of workers had improved. Furthermore, the lords of many
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their villeins. It had largely died out in
England by 1500 as a personal status, but land held by villein
669:. And while villeins were heavily restricted in what they could do, it was also possible for them to gain
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Villeins typically had to pay special taxes and fines that freemen were exempt from, for example, the "
806:. Philadelphia, United States; London, England: Running Press; Constable & Robinson. p. 30.
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887:
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The Time
Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
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This has a detailed survey of the state of villeinage from the 11th through to the 15th century.
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tenancy, which was not abolished until 1925. Villeinage continued in France until the
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Because of the low social status of villeins, the term became
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Villeinage was not always an involuntary arrangement. In the
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665:, families entered villeinage voluntarily to guarantee
653:" (fine for bearing a child outside of wedlock). The
649:" (an insurance against corporal punishment) and a "
67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
846:. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). pp. 81–84.
550:peasants were villeins. An alternative term is
538:. Villeins occupied the social space between a
873:3rd-century establishments in the Roman Empire
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781:. London, England: Vintage. pp. 47–48.
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804:A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages
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127:Learn how and when to remove this message
855:The Disappearance of the Small Landowner
27:Type of social status in medieval Europe
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607:" or "ill-mannered". For the Spanish
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554:, despite this originating from the
65:adding citations to reliable sources
634:As part of the contract with their
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878:1925 disestablishments in England
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52:needs additional citations for
858:. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.
696:were willing (for payment) to
573:, meaning a man employed at a
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522:) who was legally tied to a
802:Whittock, Martyn J. (2009).
599:" or "naughty". In Italian,
530: – or in the case of a
726:History of English land law
491:tied to the land under the
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852:Johnson, Arthur (1909).
566:Villein is derived from
141:Feudal titles and status
30:Not to be confused with
843:Encyclopædia Britannica
510:was a term used in the
777:Mortimer, Ian (2009).
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542:(or "freeman") and a
893:Medieval occupations
417:(churl, free tenant)
61:improve this article
883:Class-related slurs
591:. In modern French
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143:
714:revolution in 1789
546:. The majority of
320:Anglo-Saxon status
837:"Villenage"
832:Vinogradoff, Paul
813:978-0-7624-3712-2
788:978-1-84595-099-6
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72:Find sources:
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758:. Retrieved
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59:Please help
54:verification
51:
690:Black Death
671:manumission
667:land tenure
497:manumission
242:Free tenant
867:Categories
760:2023-01-07
737:References
623:Villeinage
589:derogatory
582:Diocletian
568:Late Latin
526: – a
437:(cottager)
365:High-reeve
235:Husbandman
194:Liege lord
175:Mesne lord
87:newspapers
888:Feudalism
751:"villein"
629:Roman law
503:Etymology
407:(bailiff)
386:housecarl
347:Ealdorman
205:Gentleman
117:July 2020
76:"Villein"
898:Peasants
834:(1911).
720:See also
710:copyhold
704:(unless
683:vagabond
651:leyrwite
636:landlord
571:villanus
404:Verderer
391:retainer
382:Thingmen
256:Vagabond
228:Vavasour
216:Franklin
186:Overlord
903:Serfdom
698:manumit
681:) or a
655:merchet
617:villain
609:Villano
603:means "
601:Villano
595:means "
516:peasant
508:Villein
485:villein
424:Villein
375:(thane)
267:Villein
224:Retinue
201:Esquire
101:scholar
32:Villain
810:
785:
702:tenure
694:manors
679:cotter
611:, the
593:vilain
560:servus
434:Cottar
427:(serf)
340:(king)
337:Cyning
275:Cottar
271:Bordar
220:Yeoman
103:
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731:Croft
575:Roman
556:Latin
544:slave
536:manor
534:to a
414:Ceorl
400:Reeve
372:Thegn
282:Slave
108:JSTOR
94:books
808:ISBN
783:ISBN
605:rude
597:ugly
552:serf
489:serf
444:Þēow
361:Hold
352:Earl
263:Serf
190:Vogt
80:news
613:RAE
63:by
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677:a
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