| Term | Definition |
|---|
| admittance (or admission) |
ceremony by which a new tenant gained entry to a customary holding, by paying a fine; usually preceded by a surrender |
| affeerer |
person chosen to asses the level of a fine |
| amercement |
a penalty, or fine |
| assize of bread and ale |
system regulating the price and quality of bread and ale |
| bailiff |
oversaw day-to-day running of a manor |
| bovate |
measurement of land |
| burgage |
a freehold property in a borough, or a property held by burgage tenure |
| commutation of services |
replacement of labour services owed with a money payment |
| copyhold |
form of holding land, marked by the fact that the tenant would have a copy of the court roll recording his admission |
| court baron |
court held by the lord or lady of the manor for their local tenants to administer the customs of the manor and enforce payment of dues and services |
| court leet |
of the frankpledge and dealt with the administration of local justice for common offences |
| curtilage |
a piece of ground attached to a house |
| customary tenant |
tenants holding land according to the customs of the manor |
| customs of the manor |
the set of rules by which manors were governed/administered |
| demesne |
the property held by the lord or lady of the manor themselves |
| distraint |
impounding of goods/chattels until a payment is made |
| enfranchise |
convert copyhold land into freehold tenure |
| entry fine |
a payment due when a new customary tenant entered land |
| essoin |
payment made in lieu of attending court in person |
| estreat |
collective term for fines and amercements imposed in the manorial court |
| fealty |
allegiance or fidelity |
| frankpledge |
see view of frankpledge |
| freeholder |
tenants who paid a money rent to the lord or lady of the manor |
| hayward |
oversaw the making of hay and harvesting |
| heriot |
payment made on the death of a tenant |
| homage |
the tenants who attended a manor court |
| leasehold |
land let out in a way which was not restricted or governed by the custom of the manor |
| merchet |
payment made for obtaining permission for a daughter to marry |
| pain |
a rule/regulation of the manor |
| pinder |
kept the manorial pound/pinfold |
| precept |
order issued to the bailiff of the manor for the holding of a court |
| presentment |
a statement by the jury of matters to be dealt with by the manorial court |
| reeve |
'foreman' of the manor |
| resiant |
resident of a manor |
| rood |
a measurement of land |
| seisin |
possession of land or other property |
| steward |
chief officer of a manor |
| suit of court |
attendance at the manor court |
| suit service |
service rendered by attendance at the manor court |
| surrender |
ceremony by which an existing tenant gave up a customary holding; usually followed by an admission |
| tenant at will |
tenants who paid a rent and whose tenure was entirely dependent on the good will of the lord |
| tithingman |
one of a group of ten men with a mutual responsibility for their good behaviour |
| view of frankpledge |
a system of mutual responsibility for the maintenance of law and order, usually consisting of around ten households |
| villein |
tenants who occupied lands on condition of performing services for the lord of the manor |
| virgate |
a measurement of land |
| |
|
| admitto/ere |
to admit |
| afferator/oris |
assessor/affeerer |
| amerciamentum/i |
amercement |
| annuatim |
annually |
| arreragium/i |
arrears |
| assisa/ae |
assize(s) |
| attornatus/i |
attorney(s) |
| baillivus/i |
bailiff (s) |
| bedellus/i |
hayward(s) |
| bovata/ae |
bovate |
| burgagium/i |
burgage |
| communis/e |
common |
| compotus/i |
account(s) |
| concedo/ere |
to grant |
| coram |
before |
| curia baronis |
court baron |
| curia leta |
court leet |
| curia magna |
court leet |
| curia parva |
court baron |
| curtilagium/i |
curtilage |
| custumarius/a/um |
customary |
| dampnum/i |
damages |
| debeo/ere |
to owe |
| decenna/ae |
tithing(s) |
| decennarius/i |
tithingman(men) |
| defalta/ae |
default |
| defectus redditum |
defect of rent |
| dimitto/ere |
to demise/lease |
| districtio/onis |
distraint(s) |
| distringo/ere |
to distrain |
| do/dare |
to give |
| domina/ae |
lady |
| dominium/i |
lord |
| dominus/i |
lord |
| essonia/ae |
essoin(s) |
| exitus/us |
issue/revenue/profit(s) |
| extenta/ae |
survey(s) |
| firmarius/i |
farmer/renter(s) |
| hereditatio/onis |
inheritance |
| heres/edis |
heir |
| homagium/i |
homage(s) |
| honor/oris |
honour |
| ingressus/us |
entry(ies) |
| inquisitio/onis |
inquiry |
| jurator/oris |
juror |
| magister/i |
master(s) |
| manerium/i |
manor(s) |
| manus/us |
hand(s) |
| merchetum/i |
merchet(s) |
| messor/oris |
hayward(s) |
| misercordia/ae |
amercement(s) |
| obolus/i |
halfpenny(ies) |
| onus/eris |
charge(s) [in accounts] |
| pena/ae |
pain/penalty |
| pertinentia/ae |
appurtenance(s) |
| perquisitum/i |
profit(s) |
| peto/ere |
to claim |
| prepositus/i |
reeve(s) |
| presentatio/onis |
presentment(s) |
| recepta/ae |
money(ies) received |
| roda/ae |
rood(s) [measure of land] |
| seisina/ae |
possession |
| senescallus/i |
steward |
| servicium/i |
service(s) |
| solidus/i |
shilling(s) |
| solvo/ere |
to pay |
| tenens/entis |
tenant |
| teneo/ere |
to hold |
| tenura/ae |
tenure(s) |
| vendico/are |
to claim |
| vendo/ire |
to sell |
| veredictum/i |
verdict(s) |
| villanus/i |
villein(s) |
| virgata/ae |
virgate(s) |
| visus franciplegii |
view of frankpledge |
| |
|
| petivit admitti tenens |
he petitioned to be admitted tenant |
| fregerunt assisiam panis et cervisie |
they broke the assize of bread and ale |
| fecit finem pro ingressu |
he paid an entry fine |
| secundum consuetudinem manerii |
according to the custom of the manor |
| in manus domini |
into the hands of the lord |
| omnia bene |
all is well |
| ad opus et usus |
to the use and behoof |
| de placito debiti |
in a plea of debt |
| de placito transgressionis |
in a plea of trespass |
| in plena curia |
in open court |
| in propria persona sua |
in his own person |
| in respectu ad proximam curiam |
adjourned until the next court |
| summa totalis |
sum of the total |