Page:Wiltshire, Extracted from Domesday Book.djvu/15

[ ix ] the meaurement of the old Virgqta may eaily be fixed in the different manors, and by a multiplication of 4, that of the Carucata may alo be known.

Bovata is an Oxgang, and is the half of a Yardland, and the eighth part of a ploughland. It mut be oberved, that, whenever any of the foregoing terms occur, they all relate to arable lands.

I hall now proceed to the Holders of the various parts of the Manor. The Lord himelf kept the dominium, or demene, in his own hands, which was overlooked by the Servi, or Servants, who were actually annexced to the Manor, and were conidered as a portion of it.

The other parts were allotted to the Villani, Bordarii, Coliberti, Cocex, and Cotarii, who, on account of the lands which were aigned to them, were obliged by their tenures to perform the various offices which the demene lands required.

Money being exceedingly carce at that period, no rents in money could be expeed from the lands, and the profits, accruing from them to the Lord, were the imple produce of the demene, which he might either conume at the Manor Houe, or otherwie dipoe of, according to his inclination. The Mills, however, eem to be an exception to this rule, as an annual rent Rh