AVERAGIUM

Service owed to his *sheriff by a *sokeman to carry messages, or anything else, while the king was in the *county; e.g. in Hertfordshire, the sheriff was supplied with 9d or 2!4 averae, i.e. each carrying service was valued at 4d. The word was also used of the work done by a ploughman and horse in one day. 'Avera' is the English form of the Latin averagium. [< OldEngl. aferian = to carry]

Cf. Equitatio; Aver