is the same with what is called a hundred; especially used in the north counties beyond the river Trent. The word seems to be of Danish original, and to be so called for this reason: When first this kingdom, or part thereof, was divided into wapentakes, he who was the chief of the wapentake or hundred, and who is now called a high constable, as soon as he entered upon his office, appeared in a field on a certain day on horseback with a pike in his hand, and all the chief men of the hundred met him there with their lances, and touched his pike; which was a sign that they were firmly united to each other by the touching their weapons. But Sir Thomas Smith says, that anciently musters were made of the armour and weapons of the several inhabitants of every wapentake; and from those that could not find sufficient pledges for their good abearing, their weapons were taken away and given to others; from whence he derives the word.