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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Villeinage
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1992-09-01
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919b
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The system of serfdom that prevailed in
Europe in the Middle Ages. A villein was a
peasant who gave dues and services to his
lord in exchange for land. In France until
the 13th century, `villeins' could refer to
rural or urban non-nobles, but after this, it
came to mean exclusively rural non-noble
freemen. In Norman England, it referred to
free peasants of relatively high status. At
the time of the Domesday Book, the villeins
were the most numerous element in the English
population, providing the labour force for
the manors. Their social position declined
until, by the early 14th century, their
personal and juridicial status was close to
that of serfs. After the mid-14th century, as
the effects of the Black Death led to a
severe labour shortage, their status
improved. By the 15th century villeinage had
been supplanted by a system of free tenure
and labour in England, but it continued in
France until 1789.