A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



There is ample evidence to show that in post-Domesday times a ferling 

 of land in Devon contained i6 acres or a quarter of a plough-land, and an 

 early survey of Berry Pomeroy in 1292/ when compared with the Domesday 

 description, shows that it contained the same area at the Conquest. The 

 demesne is there stated to have consisted of ' 16 ferlings of land of which 

 each one contains 16 acres, each acre being worth 3 pence yearly, and so 

 each ferling is worth 4 shillings yearly.' The 16 ferlings of 1292 represent 

 the 4 plough-lands of 1086, so that 4 ferlings of 16 acres each went to the 

 plough-land.^ In Exminster again (fol. 83) a certain priest was allowed to 

 hold a ferling of land which must be the vicarial glebe of Exminster, 

 exactly 16 acres, for the 100 acres of Kenbury represent the i hide held by 

 the priests of Exminster (GeldroU, fol. 69, A 11). If the areal virgate was 

 equivalent to 4 areal ferlings, 64 acres should represent the virgate of 

 woodland or pasture used as a measure of area, and 256 acres the hide of 

 woodland or pasture when also used as a measure. 



It has been too readily assumed that because in some parts of England 

 the plough-land {carucata terrae) or land for one plough {terra ad unam 

 carucam) represents the arable land of a hide, therefore the plough-land 

 must necessarily always represent 120 acres.* For Devon, the facts wherever 

 they can be tested point to a different conclusion. In the case of Berry 

 Pomeroy already referred to 4 plough-lands of Domesday are represented 

 in 1292 by 16 X 16 or 256 acres, i.e. 64 acres to a plough-land.* The 

 cultivated area of Stockleigh Pomeroy was, again, 350 acres in 1292," while 

 in our record it is described as land for 6 ploughs, giving 584 acres as the 

 extent of a plough-land there. Again, the record describes Beenleigh 

 (fol. 421) as land for 4 ploughs ; but the hundred jury in 1243 describe if 

 as 14 ferlings,* equivalent to 224 acres, giving 56 acres to the plough-land. 

 Newton Tracey (fol. 388^), a manor hemmed in by estates belonging to 

 other honours, contains 336 acres. The record describes it as consisting of 

 4 plough-lands and 13 acres of meadow, wood (land), and pasture. This gives 

 323 acres for 4 plough-lands, or 81 acres each, supposing every acre to be 

 cultivated, and there to be neither roads, hedges, nor waste. Clannaborough 

 contains 874 acres, and includes the two Domesday estates of ' Cloenesberga ' 

 (fol. 295<^), and Walson and Thorn (' Nimet,' fol. 296). The two contained 

 I o plough-lands and 54 acres of meadow, pasture, and wood (land). In this 

 case the division gives exactly 82 acres to the plough-land, including roads, 

 merebalks and linches. Ringmore and Shaldon form the parish of 

 St. Nicholas in Teignhide, containing 580 acres. The Domesday ' Rumor' 

 (fol, 304^^) contains 8 plough-lands and 18 acres of meadow. This gives 

 562 acres for 8 plough-lands, or jo\ acres each. Other examples might be 

 quoted,^ showing that whatever the size of the plough-lands may have been 

 in other counties, in Devon it was roughly 64 acres, or 80 acres including 



' Testa de NeviU(^tc. Com.), p. iit,a; Trans. Devon Assoc, xxviii, 367. 



' Mr. Chope, in Trans. Devon Assoc, xxxiv, 420, has quite independently arrived at the conclusion that 

 the plough-land was about 60 acres. 



' Mr. Whale, in Trans. Devon Assoc, xxxv, 663. Plough-lands and ploughs do not always correspond. In 

 North Tawton the king has 3 plough-lands and 3 ploughs. In Heavitree there are z plough-lands and 2 ploughs. 

 But at Chittlehampton Godwin has 5 plough-lands, but only 3 ploughs. 



* Trans. Devon Assoc, xxxiii, 598. ' Ibid, xxviii, 388. 



' Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 19212: Richard de Benlegh has i fee in Benlegh, whereof Nic. de Molis 

 has S ferlings of land and himself 9 ferlings. ' Trans. Devon Assoc, xxxiii, 599. 



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