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Yeoman
Aug 9, 2008 7:14:35 GMT -5
Post by Mal on Aug 9, 2008 7:14:35 GMT -5
What exactly would a "yeoman" in Cornwall during the period 1560-1660 been? I have found so many differing definitions of the term, also varying according to historical period that it is confusing.
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Yeoman
Aug 9, 2008 8:54:05 GMT -5
Post by gandolf on Aug 9, 2008 8:54:05 GMT -5
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Yeoman
Aug 9, 2008 14:10:05 GMT -5
Post by donne on Aug 9, 2008 14:10:05 GMT -5
In some books I have seen the term defined in terms of landholding, in relation to 'husbandman' and 'gentleman'.
Thus, a 'husbandman' would be expected to farm a holding of up to 10 acres i.e. he would be doing most of the labour himself.
A 'yeoman' would probably farm a holding of say 80-100 acres, so he would employ agricultural labourers on the farm, but probably lending a hand himself, depending on the productiveness of the land.
At the top of the tree (aside fromthe aristocracy) would be the 'gentleman' who would farm some 300 acres or more, and who would be sufficiently prosperous to be able to leave the labour of farming to others.
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Yeoman
Aug 10, 2008 4:49:55 GMT -5
Post by trencrom on Aug 10, 2008 4:49:55 GMT -5
I think you are right, it related to landholding and was definitely between "husbandman" and "gentleman" in terms of social status. There was however a pretty thin divide between marginal gentry and yeomanry, and for that reason sometimes both terms are found applied, in different records, to the one individual.
The next rank above "gentleman" was "esquire", and the one above that was knighthood --at least in medieval times!
Trencrom
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