THE INCIDENCE OF THE GELD 243 



" with sake and soke except the geld which is collected by 

 hides, which is not to be levied except from 4 hides ; the 

 other 6 are in demesne, and are exempt." 1 The geld 

 inquests of 1084 show that in that manor 5f hides were in 

 demesne, and quit of geld. The same volume also contains 

 a writ of William Rufus, that the manor of Horsley (assessed 

 at 10 hides in Domesday Book) should thenceforth be assessed 

 at 7 hides. 2 And in the Pipe Roll of 1130 is the record that 

 Robert Gruesac and William Girbertus owed 100 marks of 

 silver between them, that their manor of Burwardescote 

 (Glos.) should thenceforward geld as 6 hides. This manor, 

 though assessed as 40 hides T. R. E., gelded in 1086 for 

 6 hides ; but there was a reversion to the old assessment, and 

 the owners were willing to pay a large sum in cash to have 

 the Conqueror's reduction confirmed by Henry I. 3 Like 

 other charters, the King's writ reducing the assessment was 

 produced at the shire-moot. Domesday Book records that 

 the shire had never seen the King's writ or seal reducing the 

 assessment of Herlege from 6 hides to 3 ; 4 but the hundred 

 had seen the King's seal that I virgate at Rodbourne should 

 be quit of geld. 5 Sometimes the reduction dated from the 

 days of the Confessor, who reduced the assessment of Omenel 

 from 15 to 10 hides. 6 Fareham was assessed at 20 hides, 

 although there were really 30 hides there, but King Edward 

 reduced the assessment " because of the Vikings, for it is on 

 the sea." 1 But in the south-eastern counties, at all events, 

 this reduction was usually by favour of the Conqueror, and 

 was generally to be found only on the demesne manors of the 

 magnates. In Sussex "the assessment of the four manors 

 held in demesne by Earl Roger was reduced from 193! 

 hides to 105 ; that of the four similarly held by William 

 of Warenne, from 224 hides to 142 ; and of the four held 



1 No. 1206. 2 No. 468. 3 D. s., i. 114. 



4 D. B., I. 47 b I. * Id., 50 a 2. 



8 Id., I. 164 a 2. 7 /</., I. 40 b i. 



