DISCUSSION

William de Glosbrigge was not in the first rank of citizens, but apparently of some status, judging from the retirement expectations of his wife. In a deed of May 1335, he too is identified as a skinner. I conjecture that Reynald and Pountfreit may have been his executors, friends/feoffees, or even sons-in-law, and that the arrangement negotiated by Alice was to exchange a rent inherited from her husband (as dower right) for the lodging, food, clothing and other necessaries specified in the indenture. This would save her the bother of having the collect the rent – with all the risk of taking legal proceedings in the case of rent in arrears – while Reynald's incentive was to supply Alice with her annual needs for under the 104s., in order to make a profit. The document acknowledging the rent as due Alice served as a bond to guarantee fulfillment of the terms of the maintenance arrangements. It appears that Alice was to lodge with Reynald for the rest of her life.

Godmanchester, a community that straddled the line between manor and town, has a number of maintenance agreements amongst its court records. For example, from 1311:

It is to be noted that Reginald Spruntyng and Roger his son took seisin of a messuage lying in Arnyng Street along with two acres of arable and a rod and a half of meadow that Godfrey Grinde had totally surrendered to the use of the above Reginald and Roger through the hands of the bailiffs, to defend for the due farm, under this condition: That the above Reginald and Roger and their heirs or assignees should provide to the above Godfrey Grinde as long as he lives whatever should be necessary, namely in food, drink, clothing and shoes, lodging and each year the sustenance of one sheep over the winter and the ploughing of one rod of land at the convenience of that said Godfrey. In addition, the above Reginald, Roger and their heirs or assignees should provide lodging to Mabel [wife] of that Godfrey so long as she survives him and provide her each year with a chemise. If, God forbid, the above Reginald, Roger or their heirs and assignees should default in any degree against the above Godfrey then through the view of friends and neighbours of the above Godfrey satisfaction is to be made in the proper measure. The above Reginald and Roger find pledges for themselves and their heirs and assignees, namely [?] ad Crucum and Henry Spruntyng.
[J.A. Raftis, A Small Town in Late Medieval England: Godmanchester 1278-1400, Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Studies and Texts no.53 (1982), 32]

The Godmanchester records show a range of types of agreement. Some are brief and vague commitments, such as that

Felicia, daughter of John Ede, is seised of one half acre of land at Todalysbroc, one rod of land at Pottersmade, one rod of land at the upper end of Corpdenebroc, one swat of meadow under le Hilmade in gift from John her father, to defend for the due farm. And if that John should become needy in any time during his life she may be expected to assist him.
[Ibid., 27]

while others were more detailed, providing for various eventualities, or made corrodial arrangements with Ramsey Abbey. Professor Raftis felt it probable that most families felt no need of a formal record for such arrangements to take care of senior family members.