Note 26 — PART I TERRITORIAL STUDIES (continued 2)

The difficulty encountered in ascertaining this value was a main cause of the Domesday Survey being undertaken. This is Gneist's special point on which he invariably insists: 'Domesday book laid the basis of a roll of the crown vassals';26 upon it, 'in later times, the fee-rolls were framed'.27 By its evidence, 'according to the extent and the nature of the productive property, could be computed how many shields were to be furnished by each estate, according to the gradually fixed proportion of a £20 ground rent'.28 For 'the feuda militum thus computed are no knights' fees of a limited area',29 but 'units of possession', the unit being £20 in annual value.