Local+estate

The monk's bookkeeping records (extents) describe a variety of territorial divisions, some enclosed and some unenclosed. The text would suggest that the terms, 'culture', 'enclosure', 'croft' and `pittell' are all enclosed, whilst pieces not so described are strips in open fields. Cultures are almost always described as lying in crofts; there may be one, two or three of them, but together they form single units. Enclosures frequently bear names with the suffix 'croft', and pittells are described by the author of English Place Name Elements as small enclosures or crofts. These four names therefore hold together. Both `feld' and lond' imply strip cultivation. Names ending in lagh' or lawe' are difficult to place in either category of enclosed or unenclosed; the suffix means a hedge, but this does not necessarily mean that the piece was enclosed all round by hedges, it may well have been the strip in an open field lying next to the hedge. Assuming that only the above four names imply enclosure the following table shows the approximate area in acres of enclosed to unenclosed arable in the chief units of arable land of the extents:

The high proportion of unenclosed land at South Grange is hard to account for since it had been demesne land of the abbey since its foundation; but since it was further from the abbey itself than North Grange it may well have been the chief area of habitation in Sibton Manor and so have been broken up by the tenants' holdings.
 * Farmstead || Enclosed || Unenclosed ||
 * Jurdyz || 67 || 83 ||
 * Falsham || 41 || 56 ||
 * Cookley || 114 || 97 ||
 * North Grange || 311 || 218 ||
 * South Grange || 131 || 641 ||

Such a table, based upon field names, may well be inaccurate, but the enclosed land will certainly not be less than the figures given.

The word 'acringges' occurs in connection with a villein holding at Cookley. This word may well refer to a native holding of 24 acres and carry with it a standard of services against which other native holdings of 12 or 6 acres may be set. By this date a native holding could be any size, but the basis of such holdings was a 12 acre unit with specific services attached. Tenants are classified as 12 acre or 6 acre tenants, though they might hold more or less than this exact number of acres. The term 'acringge' may therefore be rather a definition of service and status than a precise unit of measurement. In such accounts of the fourteenth century it was quite customary for the accountant to classify the 'works' due from the tenants in a basis of standard holdings, 15 acres, 12 acres, or 8 acres, regardless of the precise acreage held by each tenant who was classified as a multiple division of the standard.

The method of administering estates by Granges as self-contained agrarian units, was the normal and distinguishing feature of the Cistercian order. In the early years of the Order's history the property of the Abbey was small and lay in the immediate vicinity of the conventual buildings. It was worked by the conversi, lay brothers, who had their own quarters at the western end of the Abbey. But as property increased the conversi had to go further and further from home each day, until actual residence in the grange was the obvious result. By the period of these extents Granges had already become separate entities. Conversi had not however entirely ceased to play a part in Abbey affairs as one is mentioned among the jurors of the Cookley survey, viz. 'Richard Beilant, conversus'

Cookley Grange and Abbey Farm, Linstead, suggest the sites of the old buildings; both lie well to the north of the Abbey, separated from it by the Heveningham manor, only a small proportion of which were in Abbey's possession.



There was another grange at Rendham. This was a late development of the Abbey. The lands there were of piecemeal additions over a considerable period. But a separate grange was eventually established, probably where the modern Grange stands The church was appropriated to the Abbey and a survey of the tithe lands exists.

The location of Jurdyz Grange has not been exactly determined but it presumed to be in the western part of the present parish of Peasenhall, and Falsham Hall adjoined it on its eastern side. Badingham Pittell indicates land within or adjoining that parish, and Salegenemere may be the origin of modern Segmore Lane and Segmore Farm. Other identifications flow from an examination of local field names.



North and South Granges still remain in the parish of Sibton and mark the sites of old farmsteads. Parts of the present North Grange Farm are evidently the remains of the original buildings. North Grange remained for a long time the home farm of the Abbey, and although part of it was leased in the century, part of the barn was retained and the dairy of the later account rolls was established there.