By Rev. C, S. Ruddle. 



5 



In Durrington, in which there was little freehold, the greater 

 part being held as copyhold on lives, the chief freeholder in 1804 

 had a freehold of 146 acres ; but it was made up of ninety-eight 

 pieces. Consequently there must not only have been great in- 

 convenience in all kinds of husbandry, but the waste in lynches, 

 balks, and headlands must have been enormous. Another hindrance 

 must have been the great uncertainty of areas. It may be said 

 that practically a reputed acre might mean anything. In an 

 elaborate terrier of Milston in the last century it is said " All which 

 acres of Arable ground as the Tythes of them are thus distinguished 

 & set right are not acres by measure or the Lugg, but reputed 

 acres." But this will clearly appear by the detailed account 

 of a farm in Durrington, measured by an eminent surveyor, Mr. 

 Thomas Blandy, approximately about 1790. This shows a holding 

 of under 75 acres, but it is made up of no less than eighty-nine 

 pieces of land dispersed in the six different common fields into which 

 the parish was divided. The six arable fields were independent of 

 the down pasture ; and as may be seen the six were primarily three, 

 each of the three being divided into a High field and a Low field. 

 Anyone who is interested in the question of the area of a yard 

 land may observe that if, as in other parts of England, it meant 

 30 acres, in this part the 30 reputed acres averaged little above 

 two-thirds of the statute measurement. 



Lark hill and North field. , 



a. 



r. 



p. 



Halve at Long wall 





2 



22 



Two acres at Long wall 



1 



2 



30 



Three halves on Larkhill 



1 



0 



31 



Acre butting over Packway 





2 



34 



Upper acre at Hook 





2 



28 



Other acre at Hook 





3 



8 



Acre butting against Edney's 4 acres 





2 



15 



Head acre] 





3 



4 



Three acres 



1 



1 



36 



Acre butting on Surton's head acre 





1 



26 



Two acres butting on Do. 



1 



0 



10 



Two acres butting on Lavington way 



1 



0 



0 



11 0 4 



