'Hundreds' were an important part of the hierarchy within England for over a thousand years. Beneath the 'Kingdom' were 'counties'. These were divided into 'hundreds', which themselves were made up of a number of parishes. In the Milton Keynes area the main 'hundred' was called Secklow. However, not all parishes covered by the modern city were in the Secklow Hundred. I live in Furzton, which was part of Shenley Brook End parish - which was in the Mursley Hundred (which extended to Winslow and Stewkley). Bunsty Hundred covered Haversham and Hanslope across to Olney and Lavenham. Moulsoe Hundred included the Brickhills, Wavendon, Milton Keynes Village, Broughton and up to Clifton Keynes.
A 'Hundred' was supposed to include 100 'hides'. One hide was regarded as the amount of land required to support one family group. In practice the size of hundreds varied significantly. Each Hundred had its own 'folk moot' - a meeting of the people within the Hundred to discuss local issues and to ensure that justice was meted out to law-breakers. Sadly, they weren't as democratic as they sound, often being limited to significant land-holders.
The Secklow mound was the meeting place for the 'folk-moot' of the Secklow (or 'Seckley') Hundred. The full list of parishes within the Hundred are listed in http://opendomesday.org/hundred/seckley/ (which also gives the information recorded about them in the Doomsday Book). It covered the area from Water Eaton and Shenley Church End to Stony Stratford and westwards towards Newport Pagnell and Simpson.
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