Free [Norman Conquest 01] Wolves in Armour by Iain Campbell Page A

told him to return the following evening, after Vespers, when it was likely that William would be able to see him, depending on how events of the day had proceeded.
    Evidently the day had proceeded well. William and a party of nobles had hunted with success in the forest to the north-west, near Kensington and Hanwell. Alan was ushered into a room of medium size where William lounged in a relaxed fashion in a chair, with two monks acting as scriveners sitting at small tables with pen, ink and parchment. By their appearance one was English and one French. After giving Alan a long look up and down, he waved at a chair nearby. “It appears that you have used well some of the money I gave you,” he said. Alan gave a respectful inclination of the head in reply. “I hear that a tall knight, dressed as you used to dress and with red hair, stopped the foot-soldiers of Eustace of Boulogne from burning down Westminster on Christmas Day.”
    “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” replied Alan. “The fools seemed to think that there was a riot going on in the abbey and that setting fire to the forecourt was a suitable response. I had to chastise the sergeant in charge.”
    “Yes, Eustace wasn’t happy about that, but I told him I wasn’t happy about the actions of his men either. It appears that here in England you are my good-luck charm popping up wherever and whenever needed. Now to business! I promised you a suitable reward when I was in a position to do so, as I now am. I have a busy few weeks ahead. I’m due to meet with Edwin and the thegns of Mercia, Morcar and at least some of his Northumbrians, and the thegns of Shropshire in a week, so I’d best get my other obligations out of the way.
    “Aethelbald has been checking which thegns were killed at Hastings, Fulford and Stamford- and therefore whose land is vacant. At the moment he’s covered Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire- and Essex. There was a King’s Thegn called Wulfwin who owned much land in Essex. I’m not feeling generous enough to give you all that land. That would make you a baron- which is an honour you have not yet earned. But he held three manors in Tendring Hundred. Another thegn, Alfred Kemp, held three and one called Estan another. They’ll make a reasonable and compact demesne. Aethelbald, how many hides of land? Thirty-six and a half? I’m introducing a standard quota of six hides per mounted man-at-arms, so your quota will be six.
    “I understand that all the manors are what the English call ‘bokland’, or ‘landboc’, although two have been let out to other thegns under some system I find both unpronounceable and unintelligible. You’ll own the land on the same terms as the previous owners, and as tenant-in-chief from me. That will make you a barones regis , which I hope is an honour you will appreciate. I also grant you the right to hold the Hundred court and the one-third entitlement to the fines apparently known as ‘the third penny’. I appreciate your fresh thoughts and I think I would benefit from hearing points of view other than those of my barons and earls, so I also intend to make you a member of my Council, the Curia Regis, which will meet irregularly as I decide, but several times a year.
    “As to the rest of England, and this includes Essex, I’m appointing earls to the various holdings of the English earls, particularly those formerly held by the Godwin family. The English will continue to hold their land, subject to paying me a ‘Redemption Relief’ for failing to support me in my taking the Crown, either as bokland or laenland, provided that they maintain their historical obligations, which I understand varies in virtually every case but has always included military service. Effectively they are paying what we Normans refer to as Relief, and the English refer to as a Heriot. It’s interesting how little practical difference there is in land holdings between the two systems. The earls will hold their lands