http://www.millersv.edu/~english/homepage/duncan/medfem/bailiffs.html

Bailiffs: Medieval Management

by Sharon Carroll

A contemporary bailiff is an officer of the court who maintains order, and acts as an intermediary between the judge and attorneys. A medieval bailiff did not always work in a courtroom, but still played a vital role in household management.

A bailiff, or "Serjeant," (Hilton, R. H. A Medieval Society,Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1966: page 70) as they were also referred to, was a professional farm manager. As a free man not bound to any lord, he was appointed to oversee either a large manor or a group of properties. Since detailed financial records were necessary, bailiffs had to be well educated and literate. His job was to manage the day to day affairs of the farm, the mundane profits and expenses associated with agriculture.

While this position is reminescent of a glorified accountant, the Serjeant had regulations to follow. Two guidebooks dating to the early thirteenth century specified the rules for a bailiff. Constitutio Quaedamoutlines the central organization of the farm (IBID page 86). The other, Scriptum Quoddam,details the management of the manor itself and manor officials (IBID page 86).

The Constitutio Quaedamoffers instructions on the recording of cash transactions, and how each transaction is to be conducted. The Scriptum Quoddamis essentially a list of instructions, but also contains oaths that the bailiff and the manor officials must swear to uphold.

The Serjeant was often subjected to audits. The role of the cellarer was to visit manors and gauge the efficiency of operations. He also made sure that the bailiff was able to exercise control over both the household servants and fellow employees (IBID page 87). The role of the bailiff was essential to the proper organization and management of medieval households. While each Serjeant occupied a powerful and influential position, even he was subject to a system of checks and balances.

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