Agricultural Statistics 146 



Seebohm appears to have made a nice approxi- 

 mation to cultivated England in 1086 at 5 million 

 acres for the recorded counties, which if I under- 

 stand the Village Community rightly is as under : 



108,407 villans with 2,250,000 acres and ploughs. Estimate of 



23,000 sokemen with 500,000 ^IjioUie 



12,000 liberi homines with 500,000 Village 



In demesne 1,500,000 Com- 



89,000 bordars and cottars 250,000 and no ploughs. m 



5,000,000 acres. 



counting \ as many ploughs of 4 oxen as villans, 

 and at that rate, the normal villan holding 30 acres 

 and having 2 oxen (p. 85), altho' he allows his 

 average villan of D. B. with 2 1 acres the same (?) 

 number, but more or less on a scheme of 8 oxen 

 to 1 20 acres. This infallibly breaks down in detail in some 

 when tested, for as evidenced by the figures for 9 

 counties, the lord had at least \ of the total ploughs 

 in demesne, and in the recorded counties were 

 some 78,000 ploughs (see pp. 121-2) ; supposing 

 therefore Seebohm's method, which I gather to be 

 that the demesne ploughs were of 8 oxen, and the 

 tenants' ploughs 0/4,* then would there be 12,500 

 large ploughs of the lords for 1,500,000 acres, and 



* The following examples do not necessarily, but may Oxen per 

 sometimes illustrate actual husbandry in 1086 : D. B. standard of 

 one ox in plough, 211^; two oxen, 22a, 264^, 307^, ii. 184 ; Domesday. 

 two and a half oxen, twice, but in the same place, see 358*7 ; 

 three oxen, 49^, nob ; four oxen, 366*2 (only time found, but 

 half a plough passim) ; Jive oxen, 14*, 235*, 278^, 293^ ; six 



