32 Domesday and Feudal Statistics 



The Hide grant (K. 237), in A.D. 836 in King Alfred's 

 ^ translation of Bede, and has not disappeared in the 

 1 5th cent. (Memoranda L.T.R. HiJ. 5 Hen. V. 

 Rot. 1 8) where is note of an allowance to the 

 Sheriff for Hidage,* which is named still later in 

 the Parliament Rolls of 20 and 23 Hen. VI., and 

 7-8 Ed. IV. From a period considerably before 

 the Conquest its main importance seems for purposes 

 of taxation, and presumably also for local rates, 

 which latter usage appears to be maintained as long 

 as the name persists ; allowing that in Custumals 

 and the Hundred Rolls etc. the Hide is further 

 used as an areal measure for 120 acres or other 

 quantity. The artificial nature of Hidage plainly 

 appears from the Domesday Tables, and in the 

 Pipe Roll passing for 3 1 Hen. I. are notes of fines 

 (pp. 123 and 125 printed vol.) that the Manors of 

 Burwardescota and Etton shall from that date rate 

 at a presumably lower hidage ; Kings Wm. I., 

 Hen. I., and Hen. II. taxed the lands by hides 

 (21 Hen. II. Pipe Roll i marc allowed for 

 carrying the summonses of Danegeld) and Ric. I. 

 appears to have done so in his 6th year, Somerset 

 yielding 293 i8s. 2d., Dorset 241 35. 9d., and 

 Worcester 9 9 I2s., which at 2S. per Hide practi- 

 cally agree with the Domesday figures. In the 

 Testa de Nevill (p. 295) in an inquisition of King 

 John's, where 5 of a carucate pays lod. to Danegeld 

 in Denham, and 6 acres in the same place 3^d. 

 (the word here may refer to a rate), and carucage 

 was taken temp. John and Hen. III., which in 

 some cases may have been raised by the Hide 



* Quittance from Hidage (as well as Danegeld) may be 

 noted in the Foundation Charter of Battle Abbey, 21 Wm. I. 



