Graveship facts for kids
A Graveship (pronounced GRAVE-ship) was a special way to divide up large pieces of land in medieval England. Think of it like a smaller neighborhood or district within a much bigger estate or manor. Each graveship was looked after by an important person called a grave, who was chosen every year.
For example, the large manor of Wakefield in England was divided into 12 different graveships. These smaller areas helped manage the land and its people more easily.
What Was a Grave?
The word "grave" for this official comes from old languages, like the Anglo-Saxon word grafansċip or the German word Graf. It means an officer or a leader.
In most parts of England during medieval times, an official who did similar jobs was called a reeve. But in places like the manor of Wakefield, this person was known as a grave.
A grave's main job was to help the lord (the owner of the estate) manage his land. This included collecting rents from the people living there and making sure the lord's rules and orders were followed in their graveship.
How a Grave Was Chosen
In the manor of Wakefield, the grave was chosen once a year at a big meeting called the Michaelmas Great Court Leet. Four trusted men from the graveship would pick the new grave. Once chosen, the grave (or someone they picked to help them) would promise to do their duties well.
Graveships of the Manor of Wakefield
The manor of Wakefield was a very large estate that included many smaller areas. Here are the 12 graveships that helped manage it:
- Alverthorpe
- Hipperholme
- Holme
- Horbury
- Ossett
- Rastrick
- Sandal
- Scammonden
- Sowerby
- Stanley
- Thornes
- Wakefield
See also
