Legal Definitions - hayward

A hayward was a historical official, prominent in medieval English towns and manors, whose role centered on the management of agricultural boundaries and livestock. This individual was primarily responsible for ensuring that fences and hedges were properly maintained to prevent farm animals, particularly cattle, from straying into cultivated fields or enclosed pastures. In some contexts, the hayward also functioned as a herdsman, overseeing and guiding communal livestock.

• Example 1: Protecting Crops from Stray Animals

  In a 14th-century English village, the hayward's daily routine might involve patrolling the perimeter of the communal grain fields. If a section of the thorny hedge separating the fields from the common grazing land was found to be damaged, perhaps by a storm or a fallen tree, the hayward would immediately arrange for its repair. This action was crucial to prevent the villagers' cows and sheep, which grazed freely on the common, from breaking through and trampling or consuming the valuable wheat and barley crops before harvest.

  Explanation 1: This scenario demonstrates the hayward's primary duty of maintaining physical boundaries (hedges) to protect agricultural assets (crops) from damage caused by stray livestock, directly fulfilling the role of preventing cattle from entering enclosed or cultivated areas.

• Example 2: Managing Communal Herds

  Imagine a small manor where several tenant farmers share a collective herd of cattle that graze on a designated common pasture. The hayward for this manor might be tasked with gathering the cattle from their various overnight enclosures each morning, leading them safely to the common land, and then supervising them throughout the day to ensure they do not wander off into private gardens or woodlands. At the end of the day, the hayward would guide the herd back, ensuring each animal returned to its rightful owner.

  Explanation 2: This example illustrates the hayward's function as a cattle herdsman, actively managing and guiding the communal livestock, which was another significant aspect of this historical position.