Below is Phil Hanley's transcript (edited slightly by me) of the Will of Robert Hanley together with his notes on the content.

In the name of God amen on the 13thh day of April 1634 I Robert Handley of Great driffield in the County of York, Grassman Note death 16th april) Sick in body but of good rembrance do hereby make my last will and testament first I give and most freely my soul into the hands of almighty god, my maker and — and my body to be buried in the church yard of graet driffied I give unto Rosamund? my wife my sole possession? And o now dwell xx And that that belongs into it — for the rest of her natural life and after her death I give it to Herbert? son Then I give and bequeath my other three children William, John and Elizabeth Handley money to — buy them Then I give for the tuition of my grandson unto me? Rosamund? my wife executing for my last will and testament and who I give all my goods and chattels after my debts

Witnesses

Ra Mason
Richard N?ton?
William Thorley?
John gardner
Thomas middleton

Debts owed by him

— Clark ? 22 shillings and 6 pence
William Artley? for a quarter of malt
William Thorley
Thomas Chawforth? 20 shillings
Debts owed unto him

A? of all the goods and chattels of Robert Handley late of Great Driffield 20 — of april 1634
4 names given
Two brass pots and iron pots,one kettle,three — and one
In tye chamber one — and other implements
Some old woods about the home
Item One? cows and cattle
Item sow and swine
Four swine
One cow and calf
Some old wood abot the house
Half an oxegan(note 1) of corn
One — hound~

Money that was owed to him by Thomas Driffill and Thomas cranforth d
Richard taylor 22pence
Edward charthouse 20 shillings
Richard Young 11 shillings and seven pence

The Will of Robert Hanley.

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Phil Hanley's Notes:-

Grassman
In the Wolds of East Yorkshire-a labourer whose common rights were an important source of his livelihood

Extract from a similar Will in this area:

BESWICK A small village on the edge of the Wolds about 10 miles north of Beverley on the road to Driffield here lived Richard Vawse grassman who died 1624 here is an abstract of his will. I give Mary Thornton my kinswoman and housekeeper 40/- To George Vawse my youngest son one black Cow and £3-6-8. To Katherine Vawse all apparel linen and woollen which was her mothers. Residue of all my goods to John Thornton my father in law for the use of Richard Vawse, Katherine Vawse, and George Vawse my children, and I give him tuition of my children and make him executor. Made in the presence of Thos. Ingmyne and Wm. Garton 30.10.1623. Will proved 15.4.1624. Vauser of Cherry Burton yeoman I give Richard Huson of Etton grassman all my goods and chattles he paying my debts and I make him executor witnesses John Barker,Mary Sowaby, Robt.Burne. Made 25/3/1685

Grassman was a particular kind of tenant, one dependent on pasture rather than arable land . Rights only to grazing. They were not husbandmen-who were small tenant farmers. I Think Robert he must have owned his cottage.

In Scotland -Tenancy farmers -often for life or long number of years. Below these were those employed by the farmer-crofters, cotters ( labourer or tenant occupying cottage in retun for labour) and grassmen. They iusually possessed just a hut and a yard, small amount or arable land and the right to graze on some land .Below these were landless labouers and servants.

The people who lived on the manor were either:
1. Villeins, people who owed allegiance to and were bound to the lord of the manor.
2. Free tenant farmers (may also be known as franklin or yeoman) were not subject to the customs of the manor or the will of the lord.

Here is a quote from Cobbett's 'Rural Rides,published in 1830.
"Those only who rent...are, properly speaking, farmers. Those who till their own land are yeomen: and when I was a boy, it was the common practice to call the former farmers and the latter yeoman-farmers."

My thoughts are:

Yeoman owns land he farms on, husband man is a tenant farmer (small holding) grassman is a grazier who does not own land. Below husbandman were tradespeople, then labourers, then servents. Above yeoman were gentry and then nobility. Gentry appear to have bought out small farms making husband man and grassman less common.

A husbandman in England in the medieval and early modern period was a free tenant farmer or small landowner. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman. The meaning of "husband" in this term is "master of house" rather than "married man". It has also been used to mean a practitioner of animal husbandry, or in perhaps more modern language, a rancher.

Evidence that survives also suggests a trend towards economic and social polarization over the course of the seventeenth century. This is exemplified in the increasing number of labourers and poor people, the economic decline of the smallholders and the increased wealth of some of the gentry families after 1660.

Social structure:

Monarch

Nobles -or Peers-( house of Lords ) -Duke, Earl, Viscount ,Baron,Marquess

Gentry ( non nobles )-Baronet, Knight ,Esquire, mere Gentleman
Gentlemen had local power as JP and nationally as MP. In 1600 2% of population were gentleman but owned 50% of land.

Other non nobles -commoners-Yeoman,( earning abt 40 plus pounds/annum 1600), then Husbandman ( tenant farmer ?) ,(earning abt 15 pounds/annum in 1600), then labouer who earned only about 9 pounds/annum in 1600 -though some had a cottage and garden and some rights to grazing on common land.

Note 1 Can only assume corn collected fron 0.5 of a Oxegang of farmland = 10 acres (seems an awful lot) value 8 pounds 10 shillings