Notes and Queries, Number 35, June 29, 1850, page 29 by Various Authors
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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.
L. B. L.
Carucate of Land.--A case in point is given in the 33rd vol. of the Archæologia, p. 271. The {76} carucate frequently consisted of eight bovatæ of arable land; but the number of acres appears to have varied not only according to the quality of the soil, but according to the custom of husbandry of the shire: for where a two-years' course, or crop and fallow, was adopted, more land was adjudged to the carucate than where a three-years' course obtained, the land lying fallow not being reckoned or rateable. The object would appear to have been to obtain a carucate of equal value throughout the kingdom.
B. W.
Golden Frog and Sir John Poley (Vol. i., p. 214. and 372.).--Your correspondent GASTROS suggests that "to the Low Countries, the land of frogs, we must turn for the solution of this enigma," (Vol. i., p. 372.); accordingly, it appears from the treatise of Bircherodius on the Knights of the Elephant, an order of knighthood in Denmark, conferred upon none but persons of the first quality and merit, that a frog is among the devices adopted by them; and we need not further seek for a reason why this Symbolum Heroicum was worn by Sir John Poley, who served much under Christian, king of Denmark (Vol. i., p. 214.), and distinguished himself much by his military achievements i