Lord paramount facts for kids
A lord paramount is a special term from old feudal law. It describes a powerful overlord who owns their land directly, without having to answer to anyone else above them. Think of it like being the top boss!
This means a lord paramount didn't owe any special duties or military service to a higher lord. This was different from a mesne lord, who held their land from someone even more powerful.
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What Does "Paramount" Mean?
The word paramount comes from an old French term, paramont, which means "up above" or "atop the mountain". It was used to show that this lord was the highest authority in a certain area.
There was also a term for the people who held land from a mesne lord: they were called "paravail," meaning "in the valley". This showed they were lower down in the chain of command.
Who Was the Lord Paramount?
In England, especially after the Norman Conquest in 1066, the only true lord paramount was usually the ruler—the King or Queen. All other land ownership in England eventually traced back to them.
Over time, many old feudal rules about land ownership changed. A law in 1660, called the Statute of Tenures, removed most of these old duties.
Special Cases
Even after these changes, a few special situations remained. For example, the duke of Cornwall still has special rights as a lord paramount over lands in Cornwall. The Duchy of Lancaster is another example, though it's now always held by the King or Queen.
Sometimes, the term "lord paramount" was also used more generally for any very powerful overlord. For instance, the marquess of Exeter holds the title of hereditary Lord Paramount of Peterborough.
Lord Paramount Today
The idea of a lord paramount is still mentioned in some modern legal cases, especially in countries that follow common law, like New York and Australia.
In a famous Australian case in 1992, called Mabo v Queensland, the court said that Queen Elizabeth II was the lord paramount over all official land ownership in Australia. However, this case also recognized that Aboriginal people could have native title over lands they had continuously lived on, even if those lands weren't officially owned by others.
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