There were about 200 barons who held land directly of the King.
Other fighting men were the knights, who were tenants or
subtenants of a baron. Knighthood began as a reward for valor on
the field of battle by the king or a noble. The value of a
knight's fee was 400s. [20 pounds] per year. Altogether there were
about 5000 fighting men holding land.
The essence of Norman feudalism was that the land remained under
the lord, whatever the vassal might do. The lord had the duty to
defend the vassals on his land. The vassal owed military service
to the lord and also the service of attending the courts of the
hundred and the county [formerly "shire"], which were courts of
the King, administering old customary law. They were the King's
courts on the principle that a crime anywhere was a breach of the
King's peace. The King's peace that had covered his residence and
household had extended to places where he might travel, such as
highways, rivers, bridges, churches, monasteries, markets, and
towns, and then encompassed every place, replacing the general
public peace. Infraction of the King's peace incurred fines to
the King.
This feudal bond based on occupancy of land rather than on
personal ties was uniform throughout the realm. No longer could a
man choose his lord and transfer his land with him to a new lord.
He held his land at the will of his lord, to be terminated anytime
the lord decided to do so.
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