Franklin (class) facts for kids
In the Kingdom of England between the 12th and 15th centuries, a franklin was a special kind of person. They belonged to a certain social class or group. During the Middle English period, a franklin was simply a freeman. This meant they were not a serf.
In the feudal system, people were often tied to land they did not own. Serfs were like servants to a noble who owned the land. But franklins were free! The last name "Fry" comes from an old word meaning "free born," which is similar.
Over time, the word "franklin" changed its meaning. It came to mean a freeholder. This was someone who owned their own land completely. In the 14th and 15th centuries, franklins were a group of landowners. They were just below the landed gentry, who were richer landowners.
When feudalism ended, this social class slowly disappeared. The idea of "a free man" then applied to everyone. The memory of franklins lives on today in the last name "Franklin".
Contents
What Does 'Franklin' Mean?
- Further information: Name of the Franks
The word "franklin" comes from old words like franklen or frankeleyn. These words came from Anglo-Latin francalanus. This meant a person who owned land without having to pay special fees.
The word also links to Old French fraunclein. This meant a landowner who was free but not noble. All these words go back to a Late Latin word, francus, meaning "free" or "a free man". It's even connected to the word "Frank", which was the name of a group of people.
Why Were Franklins Important?
The social class of franklins was very important. They were free people who owned their own land. They were not part of the nobility (like barons or dukes). They were also just below the landed gentry (like knights or esquires).
Franklins were the start of a new group in England. They were the beginning of the middle class in the 14th and 15th centuries. This group owned property and land.
It's interesting that franklins often owned land in the countryside. This was different from the mainland European bourgeoisie. That group's name means "town-dwellers," because they lived in towns.
Franklins and Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a very important document. It gave rights to free men and even to the peasantry. It said: "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled. Nor will we proceed with force against him. Except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice."
This meant that franklins, as free men, had important protections. Their rights and property could not be taken away easily.
Franklins in Stories
You can find franklins in famous books!
- A franklin is one of the characters in The Canterbury Tales. This famous book was written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
- Cedric of Rotherwood is a character in the book Ivanhoe. This historical novel was written by Sir Walter Scott. Cedric is a franklin.
- Georgette Heyer used the term in her novel The Conqueror (1931). This story is set in 11th-century Falaise, Normandy.
- In the English translation of Sigrid Undset's The Master of Hestviken books, the main character is called "a franklin". This story is about medieval Norway. The Norwegian version was also a class of landowners, similar to the English franklins.
How We Use 'Franklin' Today
Today, the word franklin is mostly used to talk about history. It helps us remember the Middle Ages. It's not used like other old terms, such as esquire or gentleman.
However, many English surnames (last names) come from this class of people. These names developed in the Middle Ages. They showed that a person was a 'free man'. They came from the Old French term franchomme. This word means 'free man'.
Over time, the spellings changed. You can find modern last names like Francombe, Frankcomb, Francom, Frankcom, Frankum, and Frankham.
See also
- Bourgeoisie
- Esquire
- "The Franklin's Prologue and Tale"
- Free tenant
- Gentleman
- Knight
- Middle class
- Nobility
- British nobility
- Social class
- Yeoman
