hundredum, or centuria, a part or division of a county, which was anciently so called from its containing an hundred families, or from its furnishing an hundred able men for the king's wars. After king Alfred's dividing this kingdom into counties, and giving the government of each county to a sheriff, these counties were divided into hundreds, of which the constable was the chief officer. The grants of hundreds were at first made by the king to particular persons but they are not now held by grant or prescription; their jurisdiction being devolved to the county court; a few of them only excepted, that have been by privilege annexed to the crown, or granted to some great subjects, and still remain in the nature of a franchise.