Feudal Statistics 65 



Making the convenient assumption of 6,756 fees 



of which the Church held 756 and the lay Barons 



6000, and supposing 9,000,000 acres held by the 



former, and 15 millions by the latter, a Knight's 



feef as against the King, would then have a scope 



of some 12,000 acres if ecclesiastical, and 2,500 Estimate of 



acres it lay : in addition to the above (to estimate gj^ 



additional fees beyond service) there would have to and Lay 



be added such excess of old and new feoffment as has Fees ' 



not been calculated in the adjustment (402), which 



(if I have not erred) would be somewhat as under : 



Fees, answered by the Sheriff ... ... 745 



Old feoffment 4>93 



New feoffment ... ... ... ... 483 



Super dominicum (108^ + 315^) = ... 424 



Omissions (see list) ... "... 618 Estimate of 



Total Fees. 



Total 7,173 fees* 



the "deficiency" (402) of the former table being 



found amongst the new, and s.d. in the above; whilst 



the omissions and Sheriffs' estimates do not permit 



of being further specified. Perhaps one might say 



the lay Barons had some 32,000 Domesday Hides 



plus 2,000-3,000 imaginary carucatesj in Durham 



and Northumberland, which would furnish nearly 



6 Hides per Fee as against the King, of a scope of Estimate of 



430 acres each, or somewhat approaching to 400 ac. 



if allowance be made for land which never was 



\ It is not of course meant to be conveyed that an entire 

 fee comprised nothing but military tenants ; nevertheless 

 the tenants in socage, and all the acres of land on a feudal 

 lord's estate may from one point of view be regarded as 

 portion of his fee, and therefore of his service ; and thus in 

 defence towards the king. 



* Vide note, p. 54 ; hence total more than 7173. 



\ There is no intention to state the non-existence of caru- 

 cates here, in and prior to 1086, vide Hist. St. Cuthbert. 



5 



