In the first half of the 14th century the population of Boarhunt may have been in the region of 160 to 180 people. The majority of these would have been villeins or unfree tenants (also known as customary tenants or serfs). ‘Unfree’ refers both to personal status and to tenure. Unfree status was inherited through the male line and unfree tenants were (in law, at least) effectively chattels of their lord: they could be bought or sold along with his other property and evicted from their land at will. In return for holding land, unfree tenants were required to provide labour services, which were meticulously set out in manorial surveys or custumals. Peasant holdings were uniform in size: a virgate (usually c.30 acres but in Boarhunt probably closer to 20), 1⁄2 virgate (c.10 acres), 1 farthingland (5 acres) or 4 acres.

Most peasant holdings in Boarhunt consisted of five acres or less of land.