Does a medieval town have a manor house?
In general terms, the manor house was the dwelling house, or “capital messuage” out in the fields, of a feudal lord of a manor, which he occupied only on occasional visits if he held many manors. As such it was the place in which sessions of his court baron, or court leet, were held. The day-to-day administration was delegated to a reeve, or bailiff. By the beginning of the 16th century, manor houses as well as small castles began to acquire the character and amenities of the residences of country gentlemen. This late 16th century transformation produced many of the smaller Renaissance châteaux of France and the numerous country mansions of the Elizabethan and Jacobean styles in England.
