THE HUNDRED AND THE SHIRE 75 



farm the county. He agreed to pay to the King a fixed sum, 

 and collected for himself all the rents of the King's estates 

 and the King's share of the profits of the hundred- and shire- 

 moots. If the latter were greater than the sum he agreed to 

 pay the King, he made a profit ; if not, he made a loss. The 

 actual farm of the county is never mentioned in Domesday 

 Book, but there are hints, if not actual evidence, that the 

 system was more or less in existence. 1 Often, in addition 

 to the traditional sum payable to the King from any county, 

 the sheriff would agree to pay a premium for the privilege 

 of farming the county. Such a premium appears in Domes- 

 day Book as the augmentum or crementum the Sheriff of 

 Oxfordshire paid >2$ " de augmento," 2 and the Sheriff of Wilts 

 paid 60 " de cremento." 3 An unscrupulous sheriff could find 

 many opportunities of raising all the money required for 

 meeting these payments and making a handsome profit as 

 well. Hugh fitz Grip, late Sheriff of Dorset, Urso, Sheriff 

 of Worcester, Picot, Sheriff of Cambridge, and Baldwin, 

 Sheriff of Huntingdon, are four only of those whose exactions 

 are subject of complaint in Domesday Book. 



By virtue of his office, certain payments were made to the 

 sheriff, out of which he discharged his liability to the King ; 

 thus 



"Edward the Sheriff [of Wiltshire] has of the pence which per- 

 tain to the shrievalty, 130 pigs, and 32 bacons; 2 modii and 8 

 sextars of wheat, and as much malt ; 5 modii and 4 sextars of oats ; 

 1 6 sextars of honey, or 16^. in lieu thereof; 480 hens; 1600 eggs; 

 TOO cheeses; 52 lambs; 240 fleeces; 162 acres of annona (wheat). 

 He also has produce to the value of ;8o (,80 valens) between the 

 reeveland and what he has therefrom." 4 



This extract suggests that the reeveland was land of which 

 the sheriff received the profits, and this interpretation is sup- 

 ported by other passages. At Getune (Hereford) " land that 



1 Commune of London, 72. 2 D. B., I. 154 b 2. 



3 D. B., I. 64 b i. 4 Id., I. 69 a i. 



