A manorial officer responsible for supervising fields, fences and grazing.
A hayward was a manorial officer responsible for protecting crops, supervising fields and enforcing agricultural regulations.
The hayward’s duties could include inspecting boundaries, preventing trespass by livestock, overseeing common grazing and reporting offences to the manorial court.
Because farming depended heavily on cooperation between tenants, the hayward played an important role in maintaining the customary rules governing agricultural land.
References to haywards in court rolls provide evidence of local land management and community organisation.
See also:
Pinder
Common Rights
Pasture
Reeve