250 THE DOMESDAY INQUEST 



collectors called "segadri," and was collected directly from 

 the villans in the various vills ; there are numerous records 

 that the King did not have the geld from the villans on 

 certain lands. 1 But the Pipe Roll for 1130 shows the sheriff 

 of the county collecting the Danegeld from the tenants in 

 capite, and disregarding the hundreds and villans. In none 

 of the Pipe Rolls is there any evidence that the Danegeld 

 was paid to the sheriff otherwise than through the tenants 

 in capite. 



A second result of its compilation was a return to or 

 towards the pre-Conquest assessments. The Conqueror's 

 beneficial hidations had reduced the assessment of Surrey 

 from 1830 to 706 hides, 2 but in 1130 the sheriff accounted 

 for a Danegeld of 175 is., or a payment of 2s. a hide on 

 1750^ hides. 3 The assessment of Berks, had been reduced 

 from 2473 to 1338 hides ; 4 but in 1130 the sheriff accounted 

 for a Danegeld of 200 is. 3^., 5 or a payment of 2s. a hide 

 on 2OOOJ hides. We can therefore understand why Robert 

 Gruesac and William Girbertus were willing to pay 100 

 marks that their assessment might stand at the figure to 

 which the Conqueror's favour had reduced it. 



But the jurors were asked for details on which a new 

 assessment could be based, and it might be said that two 

 alternative schemes for a new assessment are given : such 

 new assessment might be based either on the number of 

 teams employed or on the annual values of the various 

 estates in 1086. 



Was a new assessment ever based on such evidence ? 

 This is a question that cannot be answered with certainty. 

 Orderic Vitalis tells us how Ralph Flambard, with the con- 

 sent of William II., " measured with a rope, and described all 

 the carucates which the English call hides/' 6 a passage which 



1 Pimperne : D. B., IV. 23. 2 Z>. B. and B., 401. 



3 V. C. H.> Surrey, 277. 4 D. B. and B., 401. 



5 F. ., 94. 6 Qu. Stubbs' Const, ffist., i. 302, 



