io8 THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



But here it is absolutely necessary to connect the evidence 

 of Domesday Book with that of the periods before and after 

 the Conquest, and it will be most convenient to consider the 

 evidence relating to these men under four heads the 

 evidence of the pre-Conquest documents ; the evidence of 

 Domesday Book for the two periods for which it gives infor- 

 mation ; and the post-Domesday evidence. 



I. PRE-CONQUEST DOCUMENTS 



In our discussion of the "hide " we reminded ourselves of 

 the main features of the old open-field system of which dis- 

 tinct evidence can be found before the Conquest, and we saw 

 that the " hide " was the name given to the typical family 

 holding employing one team of eight oxen. The owner of a 

 hide would have 40 acre-strips in each of the three fields, 

 and would render to the King a certain quantity of provisions 

 and certain services. He was further liable to the trinoda 

 necessitas to the duties of repairing the bridges and 

 boroughs, and to service in the fyrd. Such a tenant was 

 called a gafolgelder in the days of Ine ; and an interesting 

 fragment of his laws tells us the quantity of provisions that 

 was required from a holding of 10 hides. "From 10 hides 

 to foster, 10 vessels of honey, 300 loaves, 12 ambers of Welsh 

 ale, 30 of clear ale, 2 old (i.e. full-grown) oxen or 10 wethers, 

 10 geese, 20 hens, 10 cheeses, an amber of butter, 5 salmon, 

 20 Ibs. of fodder, and 100 eels." 1 Presumably it would be 

 the duty of the gafolgelder to deliver his quota of provisions 

 at one of the royal manors. 



But side by side with the gafolgelders, we find magnates, 

 both lay and ecclesiastic, possessing larger areas, which also 

 lay in scattered strips thoughout the three fields. A part of 

 these estates lay in demesne, and was cultivated as a home 

 farm. Other parts were let to tenants, of whom there were 

 1 D. B. and ., 237. 



