340 OBSERVATIONS ON THE WAIT SERVICE.

Again : Roger filius Geroldi holds lachenictahalla (sic. the knighten hall), " et nullam consuetudinem inde facit prpeter watam." The house of Stanulfus is found to have been '•'• quieta tempore Regis Edwardi prfeter watam et geldis." Fol. 5. Under the lands of barons and others we find a house of the abbot's fee, occupied by Osbertus filius Alberede, " qute faciebat watam." The house of Alvinus is stated to be " quieta prseter tvaifam." So (fol. 8) land is found to be " libera praeter waitam ;" and again (fol. 9), " Tenet eas (domos) comes de Mellent, et sunt similiter quietae prseter waitam." I apprehend that the word bemg coupled in two or three instances with "r/eldis," has led to the conjecture that wata or tvaifa was a tax ejusdem generis : yet I cannot entertain any doubt that it really refers to the service of watching (j/uet), and not to any pecuniary rent or impost, though ser- vices of this kind w^ere in other instances, and at a later pe- riod, often converted into fixed fines. The early occurrence of this personal service as annexed to the tenure of land, is familiar in this and other countries, and many examples are given by Ducange, verb. Wacta. It is found in custumals, charters, and capitularies of the eighth and ninth centuries, and was a charge imposed on free as well as servile tenants ^ Sometimes we find it enforced for the pro- tection of some castle or fortress, against surprise or hostile attack, in which case the tenure is similar to that of castle- guard. In other cases, it is a measure of pohce established for the security of property, and the preservation of peace. To which of these classes the wait-service at Winchester in the twelfth century is to be referred is not very clear. The twelve "vigilantes homines de melioribus civitatis" mentioned in the Exchequer Domesday, under the city of Shrewsbury, may be considered as an example of a local police, called into service only for temporary purposes during a royal visit. The castle of Norwich aff'ords an instance of the service of castle- watch distinct from castle- guard, from which favoured ' See Prolegomena to the Polyptique 1159) by the Count of Namur iij favour of of Irminon, p. 776 — 8, for numerous cita- the church of St. Aubain. Tliis duty is tions. — " Facit wactam et omne servicium referred to in a charter of another Count quod ei injungitur." Polypt. Irminonis, to the same church, A.D. 1423. "Item p. 212 — " Faciunt wagtas aut redimunt que par toute nostre ville de-Namur ledit denariis ii." Polypt. S. Amandi, printed cliapitre dedans leur paroche, et dehors les p. 925 of the above Prolegomena : — "Do- mannans sur leurs allost et mazures ne mus super allodium infra parocliiam cas- payent a nous d'uu deult appell^ waytage telli excubiie quod appellant gneteur re- que doivent tons autres bourgois et man- spondcre prorsus nihil neque persolvere nans." — Galliot, Hist, de Namur, vols. v. teneretur." Charter of exemption (A.I). and vi.