HUNDRED (AS. hundred, Ger. hundcrt. from AS., Goth. hand, OHG. hunt, Ger. hund, 01r. efit. Lith. 8:iiintas, Lett. stuffs, ()Church Slay. sfito, Lat. centuni, Gk. eKar6v, hckaton, Skt. rata, hundred + AS. -red: connected with 0110. radio, Ger. Rede, account, speech, Goth. ra)ijo, Lat. ratio, reckoning, reri, to think). An ancient territorial unit in England. less than a shire or county, and usually greater than a parish or town. The origin of the name is in volved in obscurity, but it is supposed to be derived from a convenient grouping of one hun dred families for purposes of defense. or for local administration. hundreds varied greatly in size in different parts of England, from two square miles in the southern counties. to three hundred square miles in Lancashire, but they maintained considerable uniformity within the limits of a given county. But they were not mere subdivisions of the county. being both historically and for various administrative purposes inde pendent of the greater territorial division within which they were included. See the article WAPENTAKE.
Each hundred had a court of ancient and for gotten origin, which was known as the hundred Court. This was held at frequent intervals and appears to have been of equal authority with the county courts, though its jurisdiction seems to have been more restricted, being apparently con fined to civil causes, such as actions of debt and trespass. 1.ike the other customary courts of the feudal period, such as the county courts.
courts baron. and the like, the hundred courts were composed of the freeholders of the hundred. who were liable to do service as 'suitors.' i.e. triers of suits, as one of the obligations of their freehold tenure. Most of these courts have been abolished and their jurisdiction transferred to the county courts. but a few, which were courts of record. have been permitted to survive.
But the hundred was more than a political and administrative unit; it was also a com munal unit. It was liable in damages for a false judgment given by the hundred court. .As early as the reign of Edgar it was provided that the hundred should he responsitili tor the adaninis t nit ion of justice and liable to punishment by tine or if thieves and oth4r criminals were not brought to justice. The statute of \\ in cite-ter in 12s5 (13 Eilv•. I., c. 2) made the hundred liable to respond in 41:images for rob beries committed within its limits if the Ottviiikr was allowed to escape punishment. -\t, a still earlier period it xvas subject to the famous mur der tine, imposed by the laws of Canute upon any hundred in any one not. an Englishman was found slain. (See Exi.tasumev.) As lately as 18s6 the hundred continued to he egally liable for damages resulting front rioting. Consult: Pollock and 'Maitland. History of English Law (2.1 ed., London arid Boston, 1:09) ; St Cons! itu t iona 1 II ist ory of Engla (Oxford, 1880).