74 ENGLISH FIELD SYSTEMS 



ship, one implying the existence of two fields and the other of 

 three, is a rare piece of fortune when single references to field 

 systems are so few. Under these circumstances the following 

 instances seem worthy of consideration. 



That township fields were sometimes recast in a manner which 

 involved much surveying and labor is evident from the case of 

 two Northumberland manors. In the middle of the sixteenth 

 century both considered proposals to re-allot parcels in the open 

 fields with a view to the greater convenience of the tenants. One 

 rejected the suggestion because of the difficulties involved; the 

 other undertook the change and we have record of the new 

 arrangement.' The instance is relatively late and the system 

 evolved was probably not one of three fields; yet the readiness 

 to undertake a readjustment more difficult than a simple sub- 

 division of two existing fields is noteworthy. 



A memorandum of the late fourteenth century from Corsham, 

 Wiltshire, while it does not portray the transformation of two 

 open fields into three, is yet instructive in showing the advent of 

 three-course tillage in a two-field township.- It relates to the 

 sowing of 103 acres of demesne arable, of which 47 were in a 

 close and worth 6 d. the acre, while 56 were in two open fields 

 and worth 2 d. the acre. The open-field acres are described 

 as follows : — 



" Sunt etiam in le Southefeld de dominicis xv acre terre semi- 

 nate cum frumento hoc anno in diversis particulis 



Item ibidem xi acre terre deputate pro ordo seminature hoc 

 anno unde seminantur ii acre 



Item in le Northefeld xxx acre terre et dimidia que iacent ad 

 warectandum hoc anno in diversis particulis." 



This is simple two-field tillage. With the close the case is 

 different: — 



" Est ibidem in dominicis in quodam clauso separabili xiii acre 

 seminate cum frumento hoc anno 



item ibidem in eodem clauso x acre seminate cum drageto 



> History of Northumberland (10 vols., Newcastle, etc., 1893-1914), ii. 418, 368. 

 Cf. below, pp. 207-209. 



^ Rents, and Survs., Portf. 16/55. 



