40 Domesday and Feudal Statistics 



putation by Hides may differ as whether against 

 the King or the lord (Craunfield, co. Beds., p. 2, 

 V. II., Rolls Series) ; this together with the 

 changing no. of acres per Hide tends to indicate 

 a possible solution of the great variations noted, 

 on the supposition that the rural arrangements 

 are constructed to fit the fiscal ones. Tho' taxa- 

 tion & rates are paid by the Hide, nevertheless 

 individuals are liable and in defence for varying 

 proportions ; the acre is not the unit of assessment 

 and it might well be that an artificial unit such 

 as the Hide should contain in one place twice or 

 more, than the acres in another, with the further 

 fact of usually certain tenements being omitted 

 from the reckoning as a rule (if I have observed 

 rightly) cottagers are not in defence, and both in 

 the Chartulary and H. R. for the Ramsey Manors 

 a tolerably close approximation of the details with 

 the no. of Hides stated, is to be found, rather than 

 exact coincidence. Further, Hides are to be sought 

 Fiscal in ground unoccupied and presumably defended 

 woods, n by the lord of the Manor, thus D. B. (fo. 204^) 

 Marshes t^e Iot ^ Hide wasted for the King's wood (Elin- 

 tune), which same is noted in the Ramsey Chart. 

 (/. Hen. I. and /. Hen. II.) as being in the wood 

 of Walberge ; the Abbot of Croyland's 5 Hides in 

 the Coatham Marshes (1086-1279 compared in the 

 sequel) ; and at Beolege (D. B., fo. 1750) in plain 

 and wood 2 1 Hides, said wood being 6 leagues by 

 3, and but 10 ploughs named: also the arable of 

 the lord's demesne is sometimes out of Hide, and 

 not rarely the hidation is given first for the 

 Manor, and then for its components, /'.*., demesne 



