Legal Definitions - ferlingus

Ferlingus is an archaic term for a unit of linear measurement known as a furlong. A furlong represents a distance of 660 feet, or one-eighth of a mile. Historically, it was often used in land measurement, particularly in agricultural contexts, as it traditionally represented the length of a furrow in a common field before turning the plow. When encountered in older legal documents, such as property deeds, surveys, or historical statutes, "ferlingus" should be understood as referring to this specific unit of distance.

• Example 1: Historical Land Grant Description

  Imagine a 17th-century colonial land grant document describing a property's boundary as extending "northward for three ferlingi from the great river bend."

  In this context, "three ferlingi" (the plural of ferlingus) specifies that the property line runs northward for a distance of three furlongs, which equates to 1,980 feet (3 x 660 feet). The term is used to precisely define the linear extent of the land parcel according to the measurement standards of the time.

• Example 2: Medieval Agricultural Land Division

  Consider a set of medieval manor records detailing the allocation of communal farmland, stating that each tenant was granted "a strip of arable land measuring one ferlingus in length along the common path."

  Here, "one ferlingus" defines the standard length of the individual farming plots. This ensured consistency in land distribution among tenants, with each receiving a strip 660 feet long, which was a practical length for plowing with oxen before needing to turn the team around.

• Example 3: Old Property Boundary Dispute

  In a 19th-century court case concerning a property line dispute between two estates, an old survey map is presented that marks a disputed boundary as "running along the old stone wall for a distance of two ferlingi from the ancient oak tree."

  The court would interpret "two ferlingi" as 1,320 feet (2 x 660 feet) from the oak tree along the stone wall. This historical measurement, though expressed using an older term, is crucial for determining the correct property boundary according to the original survey and resolving the dispute.