Next to the villeins were the _bordarii_, who lived in _bords_ or cottages, _i.e._ boarded or wooden huts, and ranked as a lower grade of villeins. They held about five acres, but provided no oxen for the manorial plough-team. Below them were the _cottarii_, or cottiers, who were bound to do domestic work and supply the lord's table. They corresponded to the modern labourer, but lacked his freedom. The lowest class of all were the _servi_, or serfs, who corresponded to the Saxon _theows_. In Norman times their condition was greatly improved; they mingled with the cottiers and household servants, and gradually were merged with them.
The _sochemanni_, or socmen, our yeomen, who abounded chiefly in the Danish district of England, were inferior landowners who had special privileges, and could not be turned out of their holdings, though they rendered certain services to the lord of the manor, and in this respect differed little from the villeins. _Domesday Book_ also mentions a class of men called _burs_ or _geburs_, who were the same as _coliberti_; also the _commendati_, who received privileges in return for services rendered to the lord of the manor.
Each village community was self-contained, and had its own officers. Although _Domesday Book_ was not compiled in order to ascertain the condition of the Church and its ministers, and frequently the mention of a parish church is omitted where we know one existed, the _presbyter_, or priest, is often recorded. Archbishop Egbert's _Excerptiones_ ordained that "to every church shall be allotted one complete holding (mansa), and that this shall be free from all but ecclesiastical services." According to the Saxon laws every tenth strip of land was set aside for the Church, and _Domesday_ shows that in many villages there was a priest with his portion of land set apart for his support.
Then there was a _prepositus_, bailiff or reeve, who collected the lord's rents, assisted by a _bedellus_, beadle or under-bailiff. _Bovarii_, or oxherds, looked after the plough-teams. The _carpentarius_, or carpenter; the _cementarius_, or bricklayer; the _custos apium_, or beekeeper; the _faber_, or smith; the _molinarius_, or miller--were all important officers in the Norman village; and we have mention also of the _piscatores_ (fishermen), _pistores_ (bakers), _porcarii_ (swineherds), _viccarii_ (cowmen), who were all employed in the work of the village community.