Henry is a serf living on a medieval manor in England. As a serf, he is owned by his lord and must work the lord's land for three days a week without pay. His home is a small, dark structure made of wattle and daub with thatched roof. He wears basic clothes and mostly eats bread, cheese and thick soup. In his spare time, Henry enjoys local fairs and games, but serfs have little freedom and harsh punishments like amputation are common if laws are broken. The only way for a serf to gain freedom is to leave the manor for a year and a day without being caught.

1. Serf on the Manor
My name is Henry and I am a serf on a medieval manor. Being a serf means that I am
owned by my lord. I have to farm his land for him and I must ask his permission to do
most things, like getting married. I must work his land for 3 days as have all
generations of my family. Some of my neighbours are Freemen. This means that they
own the land that they farm and that they are free to move around as they want. If
they want to stay in a place they have to pay the lord a tax and they must also give
10% of their crop to the local priest. This is known as a tithe.
My lord lives in a castle that is well defended with high walls and a drawbridge. My
home is very different. It has only one room which all my family stay in. The walls are
made of wattle and daub and the roof is thatched. It is very dark as it had only a few
windows so as not to let the heat out. There is also no chimney as the smoke has to
escape through the roof. In winter we often bring the animals inside for heat and to
keep them safe.
My diet is not made up of much and just like my home it is very different to my lords.
I mostly eat bread, cheese and pottage. Pottage is a thick mixture of soup and
porridge. The only times I have meat is at Christmas or when we are invited to the
lords castle. Sometimes I make my own ale to drink. My clothes like my food are very
basic. I wear a short tunic with woollen leggings. My wife wears a long woollen tunic
and a wimple. This is a type of headdress. My wife makes our clothes.
My life is revolved mostly around work but I like to try and have fun sometimes. I do
this by playing draughts and cards. I also like dancing and taking part in wrestling
matches. The best fun we have all year though is when the fair comes to town. It
brings with it exotic goods.
The lord has a bailiff who makes sure the manor is run well and that crimes are not
committed. My friend recently got caught poaching in the lord’s forest. As a
punishment one of his hands was cut off. I think it was harsh as he was only
attempting to feed his family. Other people are put in stocks and chains in the middle
of the village. Women who gossip are also put onto the ducking stool.
My only way of escaping this life is to escape for a year and a day. If I do this I
become a freeman and can do as I please. I must go now the bailiff is calling me.