62 



THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



shires every vill was assessed as a unit of 5 hides or a 

 multiple of 5 hides. 1 A good example may be found in the 

 hundred of Stanes, which, from the Cambridgeshire Inquest, 

 may be tabulated as follows : 



Here it is obvious that the assessment bears no relation 

 whatever to the area under cultivation, or the value. Further, 

 two or more vills are often combined to form a multiple of 

 5 hides ; in the hundred of Wetherley (Cambs.) there were 

 five vills of 4 hides each, which were combined to form a 

 2O-hide block, and a similar block was composed of the three 

 vills of Comberton (6 hides), Barton (7 hides), and Grant- 

 chester (7 hides). 3 Sometimes this rule will enable us to 

 identify a vill that might otherwise remain unidentified. There 

 are two Broughtons in Oxfordshire one near Banbury, and 

 the other in the south-western part of the county, now called 

 Broughton Foggs. Domesday Book mentions both vills, but 

 does not distinguish them ; one is assessed at 20 hides, and 

 the other at 7 hides less I virgate. A little search will show 

 that Broadwell, a vill adjoining Broughton Poggs, is assessed 

 at 24!! iV ; and if this assessment is added to the 6H 3V 

 of Broughton and the 4 hides of Kencot, we find that these 

 three vills form a 35-hide block, and that consequently the 

 2o-hide Broughton must be the Broughton near Banbury. 



Again, Mr. Baring has shown that conjectural corrections 





1 F. ., 44-69. 



45. 



49. 



