Lords

Fortified walls surrounding the village, watchtowers with guards, and an iron gate before the manor house were among the measures taken to protect those who lived on the manor.

Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seignory, the right to grant or draw benefit from the remainder.

The lord of a manor was supported by his land holdings and contributions from the peasant population. Serfs who occupied land belonging to the lord were required to work the land, and in return received certain entitlements.

Serfs, peasants legally bound to the land, provided with labor services, pay rent and be subject to the lord’s control. Probably 60% of Western Europeans were serfs. Peasants used the rest of the estate land which was not being utilized by serfs to grow food for themselves.

3) Lesser nobles (knights) gave military service in return for land. 4) Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in return for protection.

Unlike slaves, serfs could not be bought, sold, or traded individually though they could, depending on the area, be sold together with land. Serfs who occupied a plot of land were required to work for the lord of the manor who owned that land.

Peasants chose to escape if they felt that they had little to lose; or suffered from heavy taxation and exploitation, theft and hunger; or wanted avoid military conscription or religious persecution.

Serfs were often harshly treated and had little legal redress against the actions of their lords. A serf could become a freedman only through manumission, enfranchisement, or escape.