virgata

virgata [CL virga+-ata] 1 measure of length equal to around 3 feet, yard. b measure of distance equal to around 16½ feet, rod, pole, perch. s1400 me in c s. et xij ~is scarleti remunerando Ad. Usk 46; 1425 in v ~is de waddemole emptis pro coleris equinis Ambrosden II 253; cuilibet ‥ fratri ij ~as burneti largi Flete Westm. 133; de l ~is de velvet Entries 18ra.  b 11‥ tertia pera [pontis] pertinet ‥ ad episcopum ‥ [qui debeat] duas ~as et dim. [AS: þridde healf gyrd] plancas ponere Text. Roff. f. 164v (= CS 1321); c1283 debet claudere v ~as haie que vocantur gavelmerke (Merle, Suss) Cust. Battle 6. 2 a measure of land equal to a square rod, pole, or perch. b quarter of an acre, rood (cf. EHR II 331). a 1457 reddendo nobis ‥ firmas burgales, viz. vj d. ‥ pro qualibet ~a seu perticata terre Cart. Lindores 152.  b c1283 quodlibet jugum [arabit] j acram et dim., et virgata Throstle j ~am et dim. (Wye, Kent) Cust. Battle 123; c1283 excepto jugo Willielmi de P., quod tantum arrabit j acram et j ~am et dim. ~am, et ibi deficit dim. ~a de acra et dim. (Wye, Kent) Ib.; 1331 nota quod xl perticate faciunt ~am et iiij ~e acrum Ext. Guern. 58. 3 unit of land tenure usu. equal to a quarter of a hide, yardland, virgate; b (var. defined). c quarter of a yoke. in O. habet idem W. terciam partem j hidae et dim. ~am DB I 225vb; c1114 moris est ut ‥ dentur ei ‥ vij acre seminate in sua ~a terre [AS: gyrde landes] (Quad.) GAS 447; 1234 R. de S. B. [tenet] j vergatam per sargentariam hundredi (Berrow, Som) Cust. Glast. 48; 12‥ [inquirendum] quot acre faciunt ~am secundum diversa loca Reg. Pri. Worc. 25b; 12‥ sunt ibi iiij bovate terre, sc. ij ~e Ib. 66a; 1310 illi homines de bondagii tenura qui tenuerunt integram ~am terre vel plus solebant esse officiarii regis (Cust. Sutton) Antiq. Warw. 639a; 1573 totam illam ~am terre nostram continentem per estimacionem xv acras terre Pat 1103 m. 4; 1599 R. P. qui ‥ tenuit ‥ j messuagium et dim. ~am terre native (MS Hants RO 11M59/C2/22) Crawley 509.  b viij ‥ ~e j hidam faciunt, wista vero iiij ~is constat Chr. Battle f. 15; 1234 summa terre colende ‥ ccxl acre que faciunt xx ~as terre (Grittleton, Wilts) Cust. Glast. 68; 1244 nesciunt quot acre faciunt ~am, quia aliquando xlviij acre faciunt ~am et aliquando pauciores (Cranfield, Beds) Cart. Rams. I 438; c1250 x et viij acre ad plus, et xv acre ad minus, faciunt ~am (Hemingford, Hunts) Ib. I 380; 1279 quelibet hyda continet iiij ~as terre et quelibet ~a continet xxx acras (Yaxley, Hunts) Hund. II 640a; 1279 quelibet hyda continet ‥ vj ~as terre et quelibet ~a continet xx acras (Walton, Hunts) Ib. II 661b; c1497 x acre faciunt ferdellum, iiij fardella faciunt ~am unam [ed. Hearne p. 284: iiij ~e faciunt hidam unam] (MS Princeton UL G 153 f. 158) J. Glast. p. xv.  c c1283 in D. sunt juga x ‥ et preter hec ~a T., que est quarta pars unius jugi (Wye, Kent) Cust. Battle 122; c1283 ~a Throstle Ib. 123 (v. 2b supra). 4 (leg.) area of special jurisdiction extending for 12 leagues around royal household, verge (cf. virga 4d). infra metas hospicii continentes xij leucas in circuitu regis ubicumque fuerit in Anglia, quod ‥ spacium dicitur ‘~a regis’, infra quod potestas marescalli virgam portantis [extenditur] Fleta 66.