NameAcreageAcreageAcreageAcreageAcreage
at 30.at 32.at 33.at 40.at 100.
TrotterscliffKent.3603843964801200
DailesfordKent.180192198240600
SunningwellBerks.4504804956001500
DenchworthBerks.90096099012003000
GraveneyKent.9601024105612803200
MarchamBerks.15001600165020005000
{Kington
Kington
Wilts.
Wilts.
1200
1200
1280
1280
1320
1320
1600
1600
4000
4000
PetershamSurrey3003203304001000
BrokenboroughWilts.15001600165020005000
{AlresfordHants.12001280132016004000
{AlresfordHants.12001280132016004000
{Alresford
Alresford
Hants.
Hants.
1200
1200
1280
1280
1320
1320
1600
1600
4000
4000
WhitchurchHants.330035203630440011000
BeddingtonSurrey.21002240231028007000
{Compton
Compton
Dorset.
Dorset.
1200
1200
1280
1280
1320
1320
1600
1600
4000
4000
SandersteadSurrey.9601024105612803200
{Clapham
Clapham
Surrey.
Surrey.
900
900
960
960
990
990
1200
1200
3000
3000
MicheldeverHants.300032003300400010000
WringtonSomers.6006406608002000
Barrow on Humb.Linc.15001600165020005000
ChertseySurrey.600064006600800020000
SuttonSurrey.90096099012003000
AldingbournSussex.11401216125415203800
FerringSussex.3603843964801200
DentonSussex.75080082510002500
BradfieldBerks.14401536158419204800
AstonBerks.16501760181522005500
CharingKent.18001920198024006000
King’s WorthyHants.90096099012003000
Hurstborne PriorHants.18001920198024006000
NewntonWilts.3003203304001000
GarfordBerks.4504804956001500
MordonSurrey.6006406608002000
BlewburyBerks.300032003300400010000
SotwellBerks.4504804956001500
GooseyBerks.3003203304001000
{Hanney, East
Hanney, West
Berks.
Berks.
600
600
640
640
660
660
800
800
2000
2000
BadgworthSomers.75080082510002500
DraytonBerks.6006406608002000
BartonBerks.12001280132016004000
NameRat.Rat.Rat.Rat.
at 30.at 32.at 33.at 40.
TrotterscliffKent.36:79 38:77 39:75 48:67
DailesfordKent.1:2 15:29 10:19 4:5
SunningwellBerks.3:5 5:8 30:47 1:1
DenchworthBerks.9:19 12:23 96:1813:4
GraveneyKent.1:1 8:7 11:9 2:1
MarchamBerks.75:17280:167165:329100:147
{Kington
Kington
Wilts.
Wilts.

15:14
24:55

65:52
130:267
67:50
134:263
20:9
32:47
PetershamSurrey5:6 16:17 1:1 20:13
BrokenboroughWilts.30:29 32:27 33:26 40:19
{Alresford
Alresford
Hants.
Hants.
24:1
20:41
128:5
64:119
132:5
66:117
0
80:103
WhitchurchHants.330:403352:381363:370440:293
BeddingtonSurrey.210:173224:159231:152280:103
{Compton
Compton
Dorset.
Dorset.
120:19
15:4
128:11
16:3
132:7
33:5
0
0
SandersteadSurrey.32:43 512:563528:547128:97
{Clapham
Clapham
Surrey.
Surrey.
90:17
45:51
96:11
1:1
99:8
33:31
0
15:9
MicheldeverHants.150:317160:307165:302200:267
WringtonSomers.20:31 64:89 66:87 80:73
Barrow on Humb.Linc.25:52 80:15155:99 100:131
ChertseySurrey.300:201320:181330:171400:101
SuttonSurrey.30:31 32:29 33:28 120:63
AldingbournSussex.57:190304:485627:91338:57
FerringSussex.36:71 192:343198:33748:59
DentonSussex.75:14 80:9 165:13 0
BradfieldBerks.144:283768:1367792:1343192:235
AstonBerks.165:38 176:27 366:43 0
CharingKent.90:11 96:10799:104120:83
King’s WorthyHants.30:43 32:41 33:40 40:33
Hurstborne PriorHants.180:127192:115198:109240:67
NewntonWilts.30:51 32:49 33:48 40:41
GarfordBerks.45:72 48:69 49:67 60:57
MordonSurrey.6:11 32:53 33:52 8:9
BlewburyBerks.60:79 64:75 66:73 80:59
SotwellBerks.45:86 48:83 93:16360:71
GooseyBerks.6:11 32:53 33:52 8:9
{Hanney, East
Hanney, West
Berks.

0
60:79
0
64:75
0
66:73
0
80:59
BadgworthSomers.75:72 80:67 55:43 100:47
DraytonBerks.4:9 64:13122:43 80:115
BartonBerks.120:239128:231132:227160:99

We have thus forty-nine cases in which the Hide is proved less than 100 acres, a fortiori less than 120. Any one who carefully considers the ratios arrived at in the foregoing table, which for any one of the assumed cases rarely exceed one to two, will agree that there is a remarkable coincidence in the results, in at least the rich, fertile and cultivated counties from which the examples are derived. In some cases indeed the proportion of arable to waste is so great, that we must suppose other districts, now under cultivation, to have been then entirely untouched, in order to conceive sufficient space for marks and pastures. But lest it should be objected that these examples can teach us only what was the case in fertile districts, I subjoin a calculation of the Hidage and Acreage of all England, including all its barren moors, its forests, its marshes and its meadows, from the Solent to the utmost limit of Northumberland.

The total Hidage of England =243,600
The total Acreage of England =31,770,615st. a.
Acreage at 307,308,000Excess 24,462,615Rat. 7:24nearly.
327,795,20023,975,4151:3
338,038,80023,731,8158:23
409,744,00022,026,6153:8
10024,360,0007,410,61524:7
12029,232,0002,538,61514:1

This calculation leaves no doubt a bare possibility of the hide’s containing 100 or 120 statute-acres: but those who are inclined to believe that, taking all England through, the proportion of cultivated to uncultivated land was as 29:3, or even as 24:7, it must be owned, appreciate our ancient husbandry beyond its merits[[175]]. Cultivation may very probably have increased with great rapidity up to the commencement of the ninth century; and in that case, waste land would have been brought under the plough to meet the demands of increasing population: but the savage inroads of the Northmen which filled the next succeeding century must have had a strong tendency in the opposite direction. I can hardly believe that a third of all England was under cultivation at the time of the conquest; yet this is the result which we obtain from a calculation of thirty-two or thirty-three acres to the hide, while a calculation of forty acres gives us a result of three-eighths, or very little less than one-half. The extraordinary character of this result will best appear from the following considerations.

If we proceed to apply these calculations to the existing condition of England, we shall be still more clearly satisfied that from thirty to thirty-three acres is at any rate a near approximation to the truth. The exact data for England are I believe not found, but in 1827 Mr. Couling, a civil engineer and surveyor, delivered a series of calculations to the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Emigration, which calculations have been reproduced by Mr. Porter in his work on the Progress of the Nation. From this I copy the following table:

Arable andMeadow,WasteWaste
garden.pasture, marsh.capable ofincapable ofSummary.
improvement.improvement.
Statute acres.Statute acres.Statute acres.Statute acres.Statute acres.
10,252,80015,379,2003,454,0003,256,40032,342,400

Now as the arable and gardens are all that can possibly be reckoned to the hide, we have these figures:

Arable10,252,800
Meadow, waste, forest, etc.22,089,600

giving a ratio of 5:11 nearly between the cultivated and uncultivated[[176]].