Feudalism in England facts for kids

Feudalism was a way of organizing society in England during the Middle Ages. It was a system where political power, military strength, and the economy were all connected to who owned land. The main idea was that the king owned all the land. He would then let powerful nobles and knights "hold" parts of it. In return, these nobles and knights promised to provide soldiers and services to the king. This system helped the king gather wealth from the land and raise armies when needed. The pieces of land given out were called fiefs or fiefdoms.

What is Feudalism?

The word "feudalism" wasn't used by people living in the Middle Ages. It was created much later, in the 1500s, by lawyers in France and England. They used it to describe the old agreements between powerful warriors. The word "feudal" comes from an old word meaning "property" or "cattle."

Feudalism in Europe started from older systems. One was the Roman "manorial system," where workers lived on large estates and received protection. Another was in the Frankish Kingdom (modern-day France and Germany) around the 700s. There, kings gave land for life to loyal nobles in exchange for their service.

Early English Feudal Systems

Before the Normans conquered England, there was a similar system during the Anglo-Saxon period. It wasn't as organized as the later Norman system, but it had some of the same ideas.

Anglo-Saxon kings often gave land to their supporters and nobles, like warriors called "thegns." In return, these thegns promised to fight for the king when he needed them. "Ealdormen" were powerful leaders who ruled counties and also served the king.

These arrangements helped the kings raise armies. For example, King Athelstan used thegns to invade Scotland in the 930s. The English army at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 also used this system. After the Normans won, many of the Anglo-Saxon nobles lost their lands.

The main difference was that the Anglo-Saxon system grew naturally from their own traditions. It was different from the system used in other parts of Europe at the time. By 1066, England was a mix of lands owned by thegns and ealdormen.

Feudalism in Norman England

Feudalism truly took hold in England after William the Conqueror invaded in 1066. Before this, England was a collection of smaller kingdoms. After William won, he became the new king. He started giving large pieces of land to the powerful knights who had helped him conquer England. In return, these knights promised to help him keep control of his new kingdom.

This feudal system worked well in England for a long time during the Middle Ages. Wealthy people became even richer, while poor people worked on the land. They had little chance to own land or have a say in government. Later, feudalism slowly started to fade away as the government became more centralized. It was officially ended in England in 1660.

Under this system, the king was the only true "owner" of all the land. Everyone else, like nobles and knights, only "held" land from the king. This created a "feudal pyramid" with the king at the very top.

• The King: At the top, owned all the land.
• Tenants-in-Chief: These were powerful nobles, like barons, who received large land grants directly from the king. They promised military service and loyalty.
• Mesne Tenants: These were often knights or smaller nobles. They received land from the tenants-in-chief. They also promised service to their lord.
• Lower Tenants: Sometimes, mesne tenants would give out smaller pieces of land to others, creating more levels in the pyramid.

Becoming a Vassal

Before a lord (or king) could give land to someone, that person had to become their "vassal." This happened in a special ceremony called a "commendation ceremony." It had two main parts: "homage" and an "oath of fealty."

During homage, the lord and the vassal made a promise to each other. The vassal promised to fight for the lord when asked. The lord promised to protect the vassal from enemies. This protection was very important because there were no police or strong justice systems back then.

The promise was very serious and couldn't be broken easily. It was often sworn on a holy object, like a saint's bone or a Bible. The vassal would often kneel and place their hands between the lord's hands while making the promise. A kiss sometimes sealed the deal.

The word "fealty" means loyalty. The oath of fealty was a promise that made the vassal's commitment even stronger. Once the ceremony was done, the lord and vassal had a feudal relationship. They both had duties to each other.

The vassal's most important duty was to provide military service. Using the money and resources from their land, the vassal had to provide soldiers, horses, armor, and weapons when the lord called for them. A wealthy baron, for example, might have to provide many knights, which was very expensive.

Vassals also had to attend their lord's court. This meant giving "counsel" or advice when the lord had big decisions to make. For example, they might help decide about farming rules or act as a jury in criminal cases. When it was the king's court, this could even include deciding whether to go to war.

Different Ways to Hold Land

Under the feudal system, there were different types of agreements for holding land. Each type came with different rights and duties. Here are some of the main ones:

Military Land Holdings

These types of land holdings required military service.

• By barony: This was the highest type of land holding. It meant the person was a feudal baron and had to provide military service. These barons usually attended the king's parliament.
• By knight-service: This was a lower level than barony. It also required military service, but less of it. A knight could hold land directly from the king or from a powerful baron.
• By castle-guard: This meant the person had to guard a nearby castle for a certain number of days each year.
• By scutage: Sometimes, instead of providing military service, people could pay money. This became more common as feudalism declined.

Non-Military Land Holdings

These types of land holdings required services other than military.

• By serjeanty: This meant serving the king in a non-military way. "Grand serjeanty" was for important ceremonial jobs, while "petty serjeanty" was for more everyday tasks.
• By frankalmoinage: This was usually for church leaders or religious groups.
• By copyhold: The duties and rights were written down in the manor court's records. This was for specific agreements with the local lord.
• By socage: This was the lowest form of land holding. It usually involved paying rent in goods (like crops) or money.

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