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Replies to Minor Queries.
_Carucate of Land_ (Vol. ii., p. 9.).--The measure of the carucate was as
indefinite in Edward III.'s time as at an earlier period. It then, as
before, represented as much land as could be worked with one plough in a
year. I am fortunately enabled to give your correspondent E.V. a precise
answer to his Query. In a MS. survey of the Hospitallers' lands in England,
taken under the direction of Prior Philip Thame, A.D. 1338, which I
transcribed from the original, among the records of the order, I find in
the "extent" of the "Camera de Hetherington in comitatu Northampton,"--
"Item. v Carucate terre continentes v^c acre terre: pretium cujuslibet,
viij^d."
"Bæjulia de Eycle (_i. e._ Eagle in Lincolnshire) cum membris."
"Et ibidem iiij. carucate terre, que continent v^c acras terre et apud
le Wodehous iij carucate terre, que continent iij^c: pretium acre,
vj^d."
Here we have a decided instance of the variation in the number of acres
represented by the carucate. I have generally found that the nearest
approximation to correctness, where no other evidence is at hand, is to
consider the carucate as designating about 100 acres.