The Chronicle
October 1353
← September 1353November 1353 →
1 October 1353
The manor court sat in the hall on a wet 1 October. Joan Brewer was fined 4d again for brewing and selling ale against the assize. The new officers for the year were chosen: Roger Warrener and Peter Miller as ale-tasters, Thomas atte Well as hayward again, and Henry Cooper as reeve, the villager who runs the lord's farming. Also before the court: Adam Brewer and Henry Cooper, taken in the lord's wood by night, and Henry, Peter and Elena Smith for taking more than the lawful wage. The steward has put it all to the lord. Thomas and Edith atte Well called on the Millers.
2 October 1353
The lord ruled on the court's business on a cloudy 2 October. Adam Brewer and Henry Cooper were fined 6d each for snaring in the lord's warren and warned off it. Joan Brewer was fined 4d and Beatrice Shepherd 2d for selling ale against the assize. And Henry Cooper, Peter Miller and Elena Smith were fined 11s 1d between them for taking more than the lawful wage under the Statute of Labourers; the money goes toward the king's next tax.
3 October 1353
A cloudy 3 October, and Stephen Brewer is in bed with the flux.
4 October 1353
Sowing on a cloudy 4 October, neighbors lending a hand: Thomas atte Well helped the Brewers with theirs, and Henry Cooper helped the atte Wells. Two came in off the road. William of Hatherley, a juggler and tumbler who plays the pipe and tabor, took a bed at the inn, and Richard of Stanton, a laborer who left his lord's manor for better pay and won't say which, slept by the Brewers' hearth.
5 October 1353
A clear 5 October, good sowing weather. Thomas and Edith atte Well spent it helping the Coopers sow their new acres.
6 October 1353
Cecily Cooper spent a clear 6 October helping the atte Wells with their sowing, and Thomas atte Well called on Juliana at the Millers.
7 October 1353
The flux has spread at the Brewers': Henry Cooper is now in bed with it, caught from Stephen Brewer. Robert Fowler took Stephen some pottage on a gray 7 October, and Elena Smith called on the Brewers too.
8 October 1353
Ralph of Long Marston, a tinker who mends pots, kettles and pans from a little brazier, came in from the road on a gray 8 October and took a bed at the inn. Edith atte Well was out helping the Coopers sow again, and John of Thornbury called on the Brewers.
9 October 1353
Beatrice Shepherd is in bed with the ague. On a gray 9 October the atte Wells had help with their sowing from Cecily Cooper and Juliana Miller.
10 October 1353
Stephen Brewer is up again after the flux, and on a gray 10 October Adam Brewer took pottage to Henry at the Coopers, where Thomas atte Well called too. Ralph of Kingsley, a traveling cooper who mends tubs and buckets and sells new staves, took a bed at the inn.
11 October 1353
Stephen Brewer, back on his feet, walked over to see Peter at the Millers on a gray 11 October. William of Long Marston, a thatcher looking for roofs to mend, came in from the road and slept by the Millers' hearth.
12 October 1353
Henry Cooper is up again after the flux. On a rainy 12 October, Thomas atte Well and Cecily Cooper both took pottage to Beatrice at the Shepherds' while she's laid up with the ague.
13 October 1353
Word has come that Agnes Fletcher and Christina, from Norton, mean to take up one of the empty holdings. On a rainy 13 October, Edith atte Well took pottage to Beatrice at the Shepherds' and John of Thornbury called there too.
14 October 1353
Beatrice Shepherd is still being looked after: Edith atte Well brought her pottage again today, and Thomas stopped by the Shepherds' himself. At the church door the Brewers and the Millers both gave alms to the Coopers, with Henry only just back on his feet after the flux. In the evening a gray friar, Ralph of Stanton, came in off the road. He's a Franciscan who preaches his way from village to village and begs his bread, and Sir John gave him a bed for the night.
15 October 1353
Good news from the Shepherds: Beatrice is up again after the ague. Edith atte Well, who has been bringing pottage over every day she was down, took one more pot round anyway. Out in the field, Peter Miller lent the atte Wells a hand with their sowing.
16 October 1353
A quiet 16 October. The only news came off the road: Ralph of Hatherley, a traveling cooper who mends tubs and buckets and sells new staves, took a bed at the inn for the night.
17 October 1353
Thomas and Edith atte Well spent 17 October helping the Millers with their sowing. The sickness isn't done with the Shepherds yet: two days after Beatrice got up from the ague, Alan is in bed with the flux.
18 October 1353
More sowing on 18 October: Thomas atte Well lent the Brewers a hand with theirs, and Maud Miller helped the atte Wells. Two came in off the road from Milford. Richard, an archer home from the French war with his bow on his back and his pay long spent, slept in the church porch, and Ralph, a tinker who mends pots and kettles from a little brazier, took a bed at the inn.
19 October 1353
Rain again on 19 October. Robert Fowler carried a remedy of herbs to Alan Shepherd, still in bed with the flux, and Thomas atte Well called on the Millers. Richard of Milford, who served in the king's army in France and is walking home with a limp and a sack, came in off the road and slept in the church porch.
20 October 1353
New neighbors on a wet 20 October: Agnes Fletcher, 24, came from Norton with her daughter, Christina, and took up 15 acres of the land that had been standing empty, making the Fletchers Ambermead's ninth household. Thomas atte Well went over to see Peter at the Millers, and John of Thornbury called on the Shepherds. Two travelers stayed the night: Agnes of Stanton, a pilgrim walking home from Canterbury with a little lead flask of St Thomas's water round her neck, had a bed at the priest's house, and Geoffrey of Norton, a traveling cooper who mends tubs and buckets and sells new staves, lodged at the inn.
21 October 1353
Still raining on 21 October. Edith atte Well and Elena Smith each called on the Shepherds. Two came in off the road: Simon of Milford, a day laborer going from village to village for harvest wages, slept in the church porch, and Emma of Milford, a juggler and tumbler who plays the pipe and tabor (a small drum), took a bed at the inn.
22 October 1353
The manor court sat in the hall on 22 October. The ale-tasters made their reports, and Henry Cooper asked leave to cut timber; the steward has put it all to the lord. Juliana Miller is now the one the village sends for when someone needs herbs, has a hurt or a broken bone, or is giving birth. Alan Shepherd is still being looked after: Isabel of Kingsley took him a remedy of herbs, and Robert Fowler called on the Shepherds.
23 October 1353
An overcast 23 October. Henry Cooper came home from the lake with a good string of fish. Thomas atte Well called on the Millers, and John of Thornbury on the Shepherds. Two musicians from Norton took beds at the inn: Emma, a juggler and tumbler who plays the pipe and tabor, and Ralph, who plays the pipe with her.
24 October 1353
An overcast 24 October, and Thomas and Edith atte Well spent it helping the Millers with their sowing.
25 October 1353
Good news from the Shepherds on a cloudy 25 October: Alan is up again after the flux. Robert Fowler had taken another remedy of herbs over, and Edith atte Well called too. Henry Cooper came home from the lake with a good string of fish.
26 October 1353
A downpour on 26 October, and the lord's rulings on the last court came in. Henry Cooper has leave to take three oak poles from the lord's wood for rafters, free. Joan Brewer and Beatrice Shepherd were each fined 8d for brewing and selling ale before the ale-tasters came round.
27 October 1353
A wet 27 October, rain all day and the ground sodden. Cecily Cooper called on the Millers, and Peter of Thornbury, a gray friar who preaches from village to village and begs his bread, came in off the road and had a bed at the priest's house.
28 October 1353
A drizzly 28 October, the ground still sodden. The only arrival was Stephen of Bradwell, a chapman going round the villages with cloth, girdles and purses, who took a bed at the inn.
30 October 1353
Agnes Fletcher went to see the steward about hiring a plough team, and the old terms stand for another year. Out in the fields under an overcast sky, Peter Miller helped the Coopers with their sowing, and Beatrice Shepherd lent a hand with the priest's household's.
31 October 1353
Showers on and off on 31 October. Stephen Brewer and Thomas atte Well both called on the Millers.