lOO 



Poptilation. [cH. 



next preceding had been described simply as messuagia. Yet not 

 a few messuagia vacua are mentioned in the early rolls. 



But although it is not certain that ' messuagium ' invariably 

 signifies the existence of a dwelling-house, yet it appears to have 

 this meaning as a rule at least in 1565 ; and in attempting to 

 determine the approximate number of dwellings standing in Forncett 

 manor in 1565 we have counted each messuagium as a dwelling. 



Messuagium, aedificatum like messuagium may conceivably mean 

 a site upon which stands a barn or other out-building and no 

 dwelling. But all messuagia aedificata have been reckoned as 

 dwellings. The term is usually applied to those tenements that 

 have suffered waste and have been repaired. 



Dimiditim messuagiuju. Several ' half messuages ' are mentioned 

 in the rolls. In. estimating the number of dwellings should two 

 ' half messuages ' pertaining to the same bond tenement be reckoned 

 as one or as two houses } It is probable that in some cases the 

 division was ideal, indicating the shares held by two tenants in one 

 dwelling. Therefore when both halves of a messuage are described 

 in the same terms either as * built ' or as ' vacant ' or simply as 

 messuagium it is considered that but one dwelling or one site is 

 described. On the other hand the division was sometimes real. 

 Thus, in Worthknot tenement there were two half messuages, one 

 built, the other vacant, separated by a ditch. In this case the tene- 

 ment has been reckoned as built, since normally but one dwelling 

 belonged to a tenement. In case it were clear that the division was 

 real and that both halves were built, two dwellings would of course 

 be counted in calculating the number of dwellings in the manor. 



Tenementum. This term is used not merely to denote the 

 entire holding, but also the mere dwelling or site. In this sense 

 it is used only a few times. 



Messuagia vacua. Several phrases are used as practical equiva- 

 lents to this expression. Thus we read of ^nessuagia and of cotagia 

 'quondam aedificata'; of tofts and oi pictella 'quondam aedificata,' 

 and of pictella 'jam vacua.' Also we meet with the unqualified 

 terms ' tofts ' and ' pightles,' and understand the former to mean 

 vacant dwelling sites, though we have not given this interpretation 

 to the latter term when unqualified. 



The evidence regarding the number of dwellings and of vacant 

 sites found in the Court Rolls (1400-1565) and in the Survey is 

 presented in tabular form in Appendix IV. 



In this table column i contains the names of the bond tenements 

 of the manor. The list has been compiled from two sources : first 



