virgate

A virgate is a historical unit of land area used primarily in England during the medieval period. It was a measure of land that a yoke of oxen could plow in a year, typically estimated to be around 30 acres, although the exact size could vary depending on the quality of the land and local customs. The term "virgate" is derived from the Latin "virga," meaning a rod or twig, which was used as a measuring tool.

Virgates were a key component of the manorial system, which was the dominant form of land tenure in medieval England. A manor was divided into several virgates, each of which was held by a tenant who owed certain obligations to the lord of the manor. These obligations could include labor services, such as plowing the lord's fields, or the payment of rents and dues in kind or in money.

The size of a virgate could vary significantly from one manor to another. In some cases, a virgate might consist of a single, contiguous block of land, while in others it might be made up of several scattered strips. The quality of the land also played a role in determining the size of a virgate, with poorer land requiring more acreage to constitute a virgate than richer land.

Over time, the use of the virgate as a unit of measurement declined, as the manorial system itself began to break down in the late medieval period. However, the term "virgate" continues to be used by historians and scholars to describe this important aspect of medieval land tenure and agriculture.