Demesne facts for kids
A demesne (say it: di-MAYN or di-MEEN) was land kept by a lord of the manor for his own use. This was part of the feudal system. The lord used this land to live on or to support himself. It was different from land he gave to other people to use.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the royal demesne is land owned by the King or Queen. Ancient demesne is a legal term for land the king owned back in 1086. This was when the Domesday Book was created.
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What Does "Demesne" Mean?
The word "demesne" comes from an old French word, demeine. This word eventually came from the Latin word dominus, which means "lord" or "master". So, "demesne" is like a different way to say "domain".
Another old word, barton, means the same thing as demesne. You can find barton in many place names. It often refers to a farm on a demesne. It comes from old English words for "barley" and "enclosure".
How Demesne Lands Developed
The system of managing land, called manorialism, was a big part of feudalism. This idea started in France. It spread to other places during the Middle Ages, like the British Isles after the Norman Conquest.
In this feudal system, the demesne was all the land the lord of the manor kept. He used it for himself and his family. This land wasn't always all in one place near his house. Some parts of the demesne were used as public roads. Other parts were common land where the lord and his tenants could let their animals graze. Most of the other land in the manor was given by the lord to his tenants.
At first, villeins or serfs worked the demesne lands for the lord. These workers didn't own the land. They worked it as part of their duties to the lord. But as a money economy grew, serfs started paying money instead of working. Later, paid workers began to farm the demesne lands.
Over time, many demesne lands were leased out. This meant people could rent them for a long time, even passing them down in their families. Many peasants became like free landowners after paying their fixed rent. Sometimes, if money lost its value, the rent became very small. This could make a feudal lord poor while peasants became richer.
In Ireland, demesne lands were often marked by tall stone walls. Today, many places in Ireland still have "Demesne" in their names.
The King's Own Land: Royal Demesne
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, King William the Conqueror claimed all land in England. This was the start of the royal demesne, also known as Crown land. The king gave away huge areas of land to his loyal followers. He gave them these lands under different types of feudal agreements.
The land the king didn't give away stayed as royal demesne. This included royal manors managed by his stewards. It also included royal hunting forests. In the Domesday Book of 1086, this land was called terra regis, meaning "the king's land". In English law, "ancient demesne" refers to the land the Crown owned at the time of the Domesday Book.
The royal demesne didn't always stay the same size. It could grow if land went back to the king. This happened if a feudal agreement ended, for example. It could also shrink if the king gave away more land. During the time of King George III (1760–1820), Parliament took over most of the royal demesne. In return, the king received a fixed yearly payment called the Civil List. Windsor Castle, still used by the monarch, is a rare part of the royal demesne that has never been given away since 1066.
In Ireland, King Henry II claimed a large area as royal demesne in 1171. This included Dublin, its surrounding area, and towns like Wexford and Waterford. This region around Dublin later became known as the Pale.
See also
- Townland
- Mains (Scotland)
