HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE [in. 



III. 



ORIGIN OF LARGE PROPERTIES. ESTATES OF ANGLO- 

 SAXON NOBILITY. EVIDENCE OF DOMESDAY. 



IT is a commonly received opinion, that the present 

 distribution of land in England differs greatly from 

 that which prevailed in ancient, and particularly in 

 Saxon times; and that the change is due to the 

 operation of the law of primogeniture, or entail, 

 or the practice of making settlements of land. I 

 propose to consider in the first place, how far this 

 opinion, that a great change in the distribution of 

 land has occurred is well founded, before inquiring 

 into the causes alleged to have produced it. 



In order to arrive at a sound conclusion on the 

 subject, we must extend the investigation into 

 centuries long anterior to the Norman Conquest. 



According to all historical accounts, the Saxon 

 Conquest of England was effected by a body of 

 men, about as insignificant in point of numbers, as 

 the Spanish invaders of Mexico. A few long boats 

 are 'said to have conveyed Hengist and his com- 

 panions conquerors of England. They were, no 



