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23. N.B. in most Accounts of the Danegeld we find large deductions made under the name of Waifs * deletion unclear /deletion

Scutage or Escuage

This was a Duty or Service arising out of Baron or Knights Fees; for Antiently personal service attended every Tenant holding in Capite, thus the Service of a Knight was due for a Knight’s fee, half a Knights Service for half a Knights fee, and soon; the same held with regard to Baronies the King’s had also a right to the Fees of Honours, Escheats In His hands, deletion & /deletion addition and /addition those of His Wards; some Serjeants paid also Escuage.

This personal service was frequently commuted Into money and rated at so much per fee.

William the Norman divided England into thirty thousand Baronies or Manours, the Lords of whom were the only Freeholders in the Land, deletion & /deletion addition and /addition were Stiled Barons, these again were divided into the Greater Barons called Earls, deletion & /deletion addition and /addition the lesser one’s who were simply Barons.