If such a process were general or even common, we should certainly have the materials of a social revolution. But was it? The much discussed question of the effect of the agrarian changes on the numbers of the rural population is one which it is not possible to answer with any approach to accuracy, owing to the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient number of continuous series of surveys and rentals. Those relating to single years tell mainly results, when what we want to see is a process. Nevertheless even single surveys are not altogether without value. They show the distribution of land between different classes at a given moment, and sometimes contain indications of the changes by which the existing distribution was reached. In particular they show us the relative areas of the demesne farm and of the land in the hands of all other classes of tenants. And this has a certain interest. For since the demesne farm on a manor where conditions approximated most closely to those of the Middle Ages and had been least affected by more recent changes, rarely contained more than half the whole manorial territory and generally not so much, there is a _prima facie_ case for surmising concentration of holdings and evictions when one finds two-thirds, three-quarters, or even ninety per cent. of it in the hands of one large farmer. It is, however, a very tedious task calculating the acreage held by a number of different tenants, and this may perhaps excuse the small number of instances which are given below. They are as follows:--
+-----------------------+-----------------+-------------+---------------+ | | (I.) | (II.) | | | Manor. | Whole Area | Area held | Percentage | | | Ascertainable. | by Farmers | of | | | [446] | of Demesnes.| (II.) to (I.).| +-----------------------+-----------------+-------------+---------------+ |Donnyngton | 1523-1/2 | 418 | 27.8 | |Salford | 856 | 295 | 34.4 | |Estoverton and Phipheld| 1160 | 484-3/4 | 41.0 | |Weedon Weston | 715 | 301 | 42.0 | |South Newton | 1365 | 632 | 46.3 | |Washerne | 1249 | 707 (in | 56.6 | | | | hands of | | | | | lord) | | |Knyghton | 452 | 268 | 59.2 | |Bishopeston | 1280 | 805 | 62.9 | |Gamlingay Merton | 283-1/2 | 199-3/4 | 70.3 | |Winterborne Basset | 708-1/2 | 532 | 75.1 | |Billingford | 666 | 507 | 76.1 | |Gamlingay Avenells[447]| 531-3/4 | 420-1/4 | 79.0 | |Domerham[448] | 960-1/2 | 824-1/2 | 85.8 | |Ewerne | 473 | 428 | 90.5 | |Burdonsball | 190 | 190 | 100.0 | |Whadborough | 469 | 469 | 100.0 | +-----------------------+-----------------+-------------+---------------+