Thelordtakesalsotenementsintohishandinthewayofescheat，intheabsenceofheirs。Court-rollsconstantlymentionplotswhichhavebeenresumedinthiswaybythelord。91*Thehomagehastoreporttothestewardastoallchangesofoccupation，andastothemeasureswhicharethoughtnecessarytopromotetheinterestsofthelandownerandofthetenantry。92*
Astothetreatmentoftenureinmanorialdocuments，itistobenoticedthatadistinctionwhichhasnojuridicalmeaningatallbecomesallimportantinpractice。Atcommonlaw，ashasbeensaidrepeatedly，thecontrastbetweenfreelandandservilelandresolvesitselfintoacontrastbetweenprecariousoccupationandproprietaryright。Thiscontrastisnoticedoccasionallyandasamatteroflegalprinciplebymanorialdocuments93*quiteapartfromtheconsequenceswhichflowfromit，andofwhichIhavebeenspeakingjustnow。Butinactuallifethisfundamentalfeatureisnotveryprominent；allstressislaidonthedistinctionbetweenlandheldbyrentandlandheldbylabour。Inthecommonphraseologyofsurveysandmanorialrolls，thetenementsonwhichtherentprevailsoverlabourarecalled’freetenements，’andthoseonthecontrarywhichhavetorenderlabourservices，bearthenamesof’servileholdings。’Thisfactiscertainlynottobetreatedlightlyasamereresultofdeficientclassificationorterminology。Itisaveryimportantoneanddeservestobeinvestigatedcarefully。
IntheancientsurveyofGlastonburyAbbey，compiledin1189，thequestionstobeansweredbythejuryareenumeratedinthefollowingway：’Whoholdsfreely’andhowmuch，andbywhatservices，andbywhosewarrant，andfromwhattime？HaslandwhichoughttoperformworkbeenturnedintofreelandinthetimeofBishopHenry，orafterwards？Bywhosewarrantwasthischangemade，andtowhatextentisthelandfree？Isthedemesnelandincultivation，orisitgivenawayinfreetenureorvillaintenure；issuchmanagementprofitable，orwoulditbebetterifthislandwastakenbackbythelord？’94*Thecontrastisbetweenlandwhichprovideslabourandlandwhichdoesnot；theformerisunfree，andvillaintenureisthetenureoflandheldbysuchservices；portionsofthedemesnegivenawayfreelymayeventuallybereclaimed。Theschemeofthesurveymadeinanswertothesequestionsisentirelyinkeepingwiththismodeofclassification。Allholdingsareconsideredexclusivelyfromtheeconomicpointofview；thetestofsecurityandprecariousoccupationisneverapplied。Itisconstantlynoticed，ontheotherhand，whetheraplotpaysrentorprovideslabour，whetheritcanbetransferredfromonecategoryintotheother，onwhatconditionsdemesnelandhasbeengiventopeasants，andwhetheritisexpedienttoalterthem。Letustakethefollowingcaseasaninstance：JohnClerkhadinthetimeofBishopHenryonevirgateinDomerhamandholdsitnow，andanothervirgateinStapelhamfortenshillings。WhenhefarmedtheDomerhammanorheleftonhisownauthoritythevirgateinStapelhamandtookhalfavirgateinDomerham，asitwasnearer。Thishalfvirgateoughttoworkandisnowfree。AndthevirgateinStapelbam，thoughitwasfreeformerly，hastoworknow，aftertheexchange。95*Theoppositionisquiteclear，andentirelysuitedtothelistofquestionsaddressedtothejury。Themeaningofthetermsfreeandfreedomisalsobroughtoutbythefollowingexample。AnderdBuddeholdshalfavirgateofdemesneland，fromthetimeofBishopHenry，bythesameservicesasallwhoholdsomuch。Thevillagehastorenderasgifttwenty-nineshillingsandsixpence。Sixpencearewantingtocompletethethirtyshillings？
becauseAnderdholdsmorefreelythanhisancestorsusedto。96*
Suchphraseologyisbynomeansrestrictedtoonedocumentoronelocality。InaRamseyCartularywefindthefollowingentryinregardtoaHuntingdonshiremanor：’Ofsevenhidesoneisfree；oftheremainingsixtwovirgatespayrent。Theholderpayswiththevillains；hepaysmerchetandjoinsintheboon-workasthevillains。Theremainingfivehidesandthreevirgatesareinpurevillainage。’97*ThegradationissomewhatmorecomplexherethanintheSomersetshireinstance：besidesfreelandandworkinglandwehaveaseparatedivisionformixedcases。Butthefoundationisthesameinbothdocuments。EarliersurveysofRamseyAbbeyshowthesameclassificationofholdingintofreeandworkingvirgatesliberae，adopus98*。