226 THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



" from these three lands was rendered farm (A..S. feorme, pro- 

 visions) in the time of King Edward, because they were 

 always reserved for the victuals of the monks." l Azor held 

 a hide and a half at Pershore of the abbey for the lives of 

 himself and his wife, and " thence served the church, and gave 

 yearly one farm or 2os. to the monks." 2 Evidently he sup- 

 plied the monks with provisions to the value of 2Os. every year. 

 After the Conquest the Canons of St. Pieran's, Cornwall, 

 were deprived of two lands, which formerly rendered "the 

 farm of four weeks," or provisions sufficient for their main- 

 tenance for a month. 3 Hereward, " the last of the English," 

 appears to disadvantage in a transaction of this kind. Crow- 

 land Abbey owned certain land at Rippingale (Lines.), which 

 for a long time it held in its own hands ; but Abbot Ulchel 

 leased it to Hereward, on condition that he should supply the 

 abbey with such a quantity of provisions as should be agreed 

 on. Hereward did not carry out his part of the agreement, 

 and the abbot seized the land into his own hands before Here- 

 ward fled the country. 4 Robert fitz Gerold held an unnamed 

 estate in Somerset, which, when he received it, was worth 18, 

 but in 1086 rendered one hundred cheeses and ten bacon-pigs. 5 

 Bearing in mind that the word " farm " is a transliteration 

 of the English word " feorme," meaning " provisions," we are 

 tempted to see in the numerous records of lands being held 

 " ad firmam," evidence of the frequency of food rents. Theo- 

 doric held Winterbourne (Berks.) of the King " ad firmam ; " 6 

 in other words, he provided the King with a certain quantity 

 of provisions. In Salop, a freeman rendered " 8/- in firma," or 

 provided his lord with provisions which were worth 8s. 1 

 Hence we understand the expression that one estate rendered 

 farm into another, or lay in the farm of another. Finchamp- 

 stead did not pay geld, but rendered farm into Reading. 8 



1 D. B., I. 172 b 2. 2 Id., I. 175 a 2. 3 Id., 121 a 2. 



* Id., I. 377 a 2. 5 Id., I. 97 a i. 6 Id., I. 58 a i. 



7 Id., I. 260 b i. " Id., I. 57 a i. 



