492
APPENDIX В.
are equivalent terms appears from their being used interchange-
ably in various entries of Domesday. Nor is there any good rea-
son to suppose that the Normans made any violent change in the
values of these several denominations, although they might adopt
more convenient subdivisions of the larger sums. They did just
the same thing in respect to the Saxon money. Besides, as it was
from the Saxons that they derived the information which the Sur-
vey contains, it is reasonable to believe that the Saxon values were
generally adopted, at least as far as the hɪd was concerned. The∙
minute subdivision of land consequent upon the Conquest probably
rendered it necessary to pay especial attention to the smaller units,
and I can conceive nothing more likely than a slight change in the
value of the acre, while the hid and virgate remained unaltered.
Then where an estate comprised only one Saxon acre, it might
readily be considered equal to half a ferling, or Ij acre, Norman
measure, for it would have been difficult and complicated to express
it in other terms. In fact where small fractional parcels of land
were to be subtracted, the Commissioners were generally glad to
avoid details, and enter “ A. has so much in demesne, and the
Villani have aliam terram, the rest of the land.” If the Saxon
ager paid for half a ferling in the time of the Confessor, it was
likely to be taken at that value in the Survey ; for the law, qaa>
de minimis non curat, could hardly notice so trifling a deviation.
The approximate value of the Saxon acre, however, I have given ;
it was one day’s work for a plough and oxen, in other words very
nearly our own statute-acre.
That the value of the hide became gradually indistinct, when
reckonings ceased to be made in it, and the calculation was taken
upon knights’ fees, is very intelligible. We consequently find
surprising variations in the amount of hides counted to a knight’s
fee, as well as the acres contained in this last measure. In the
time of Edward the Third it was computed that there were 60,215
knight’s fees in England, which taking the present acreage of
31,770,615 gives rather more than 527 acres to a fee : hence those
who believed a hide to contain IOO acres, calculated five hides to
a knight’s fee, in accordance with the Saxon law which made that
THE IIΓD.
493
amount tho minimum of a thane’s estate, and also to the entries
in Domcsday, from which it appeared that one miles went from
five hides : but here it was overlooked that the hide was exclusively
arable land. To such erroneous modes of calculation we owe
such entries as the following:—
“Decern acrao faciunt tardellum, iv fardelli faciunt virgatuɪn,
(ɪuatuor virgatao faciunt hydam, quatuor hydae faciunt uɪium feo-
dum.” AIS. Harl. 4G4. fol. 17, b.
where 1 fardel = 10 acres.
4 fardels= 40 acres= Ivirgate.
16 fardels= 160 acres= 4 Virgules=I hide.
6} fιιrdels = 640 acres = 16 vιrguteβ=4 hides= 1 knight's fee.
Again wo are told (!legist. Burgi Sci. l`etri, fol. 81, b) that
“Quinque feoda fuerunt antiquitus una baronia ; et quinque
hydae uπura feodum ; et quinque virgatac tcrrao una hydα, quac-
Iibct virgata de viginti acris.”
Or tubularly,—
1 virgate = 20 acres.
5 virgules= 100 acres= 1 hide.
25 Virgates= 500 acres= 5 hides = 1 knight's fee.
125 virgates=2500 acres=25 hides = 5 fees = l barony.
which results neither coincide with the last, nor with those of
Domcsday, nor with those derived from Saxon authorities.
The hidage of various ancient Giis which has been given in
Chapter III. could naturally not be sufficient guide under the new
shire divisions. Unfortunately we have not a complete account
of the hidage in the shires : nor docs what we have coincide with
the conclusion arrived at in the course of the fourth chapter.
In the Cotton. MS. Claud. B. vii. (fol. 204, b), which appears
to have been written in the time of Henry III., we have the fol-
lowing entries :—■
Hydae.
In Wiltcscyre contincntur.............. 4800
In Bcdcfordscyre sunt ................ 1200
In Cantebrigcscyre sunt................ 2500
In Huntedunescyre sunt .............. 800∣
In Northamptescyre sunt .............. 3200