Feudal land tenure in England facts for kids

In medieval England, the way land was owned and used was very different from today. This system was called feudalism. It involved different types of land tenure, which were like contracts for using land. Each contract came with specific rights and duties. Some land tenures were "free-hold," meaning they could be passed down through families forever. Others were "non-free," meaning the right to use the land ended when the tenant died or after a set time.

How Land Ownership Changed in England

Before the Norman conquest in 1066, much of England was owned by people with "allodial titles." This meant they owned their land completely, without owing service to a lord. These landowners worked with the king because it benefited everyone, not because they were legally forced to.

William the Conqueror's New System

Everything changed when William the Conqueror invaded England. After winning the Battle of Hastings, he declared himself the only true owner of all land in England. This meant that no one else truly "owned" land; they only held it from the king in exchange for service. This new rule was often summed up as "no land without a lord." William took land from those who fought against him and gave it to his loyal followers. He created a new kind of feudalism where everyone, from the highest lords to the lowest peasants, owed service to someone above them. This system was partly based on military service.

Barony and Knight Service Explained

The most important lords, called tenants-in-chief, held their land directly from the king. This was known as the "tenure of barony." In return, they had to provide a certain number of knights to the king for 40 days each year. After 40 days, the king either had to pay the knights or send them home.

Another important type of landholding was "knight-service." People who held land by knight-service had to provide knights to their lord. However, they couldn't automatically pass their land to their children. They needed their lord's permission first.

This system faced problems over time. It became hard to figure out how many knights each lord should provide. Some estates didn't grow in wealth or population, so the lord could only provide a few knights, even if they were supposed to provide more. Also, a practice called "subinfeudation" caused issues. This meant that tenants could divide their land and give it to their own tenants, creating many layers of landholding. This made it difficult for the top lords to keep track of who owed them service.

To fix this, Edward I made a law called Quia Emptores. This law stopped subinfeudation. In return, it became legal to sell land freely, which was a big change.

Changes in the Late Medieval Period

Later in the late medieval period, the system of "knight-service" began to fade away. It was replaced by "scutage." Instead of providing knights, tenants paid a tax based on how much knight-service they were supposed to provide.

Before the mid-13th century, land held by knight-service wasn't always passed down through families easily. This was because it was uncertain if the heir would be able to provide the required military service. But once scutage replaced knight-service, this question became less important. So, heirs could inherit land by paying a special "inheritance tax."

The feudal system in England officially ended with the Tenures Abolition Act 1660. This law declared that all land would be held by "socage tenure," which was a simpler form of landholding that didn't involve military service.