214 ENGLISH FIELD SYSTEMS 



162 1, has similar characteristics. There the arable lay largely 

 in three " quarters," North, East, and West, doubtless the prin- 

 cipal divisions of the township fields; yet to North quarter 

 were assigned 8 acres, slightly more than were given to the other 

 quarters together, these receiving respectively 3I and 3^ acres. ^ 

 From Corbridge come particulars of the distribution of the 

 demesne acres among four fields. In West field were 26 acres, 

 in East field 112, in North field 84, and in Little field 25. ^ 

 Since in the detailed list of " riggs " there is no separation of 

 Little field from North field, it is possible that the two were tilled 

 as a unit. If so, this composite field becomes as important as 

 East field, but the insignificance of West field is only the more 

 emphasized. Finally, the terrier descriptive of a holding at 

 Great Felton in 1585 is concerned with only an East field and 

 a W^est field. None the less, it fails to divide its acres evenly 

 between the two, assigning to one 15 acres and to the other 5.' 

 In general, we are thus led to conclude that the acres of a North- 

 umberland holding, whether apportioned to two, three, or four 

 fields, were not disposed as they would have been in a normal 

 township of the midland area. 



In some Northumberland terriers of Tudor and Jacobean days 

 there is discernible a tendency to group fields along with other 



1 History of Northutnberland, i. 287. This holding of John Chaundler is thus 

 described : — 



Acres Roods Perches 



" The hotise and scite o o 30 



Six butts of arable land lying among other lands in a croft there 2 i 10 

 Fowertene several parcells of arable land which lie on the North 



Quarter containing 8 o 35 



Thirteen parcells of arable land lying on the East Quarter ... 3 3 30 



Other parcels in West Quarter 3 2 o 



A small parcel lying in East Meade o o 35 



Another small parcel o o 20 



3 beaste gates in the Ox Pastures 



Total i8 o 2 " 



^ Ibid., X. 124-130. 



' Ibid., vii. 252. Besides the tenement and a croft containing a half-acre, the 

 holding comprised : — 



" 2 closes in the east field of Felton . . . together of 12 acres 

 II selions in the same field ' super moores pett ' of 2 acres 

 At Chamley gappe i acre 



In the west field parcels called ' Botons peace,' ' le lawe' et ' le hedlandes,' together of s acres 

 I close of pasture . . . called ' le birkeclose ' of 8 acres." 



