Toll and team facts for kids

Toll and team were special rights given to important landowners a long time ago in England. These rights came from the Crown, which means the king or queen at the time. They were part of the old laws known as Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman law.

These special permissions first appeared in official documents called charters around the year 1023. They were usually listed with other rights, like "sac and soc" or "infangthief and outfangthief." Think of them as a package of special powers for landowners.

What Were Toll and Team?

Toll and team were two important privileges, or special rights, that the king or queen granted to landowners in England many centuries ago. These rights were part of the legal system during the Anglo-Saxon period (before 1066) and the Anglo-Norman period (after 1066). They allowed landowners to have more control and power over their lands and the people living on them.

Understanding 'Toll'

The right of toll meant a landowner could collect a payment, like a small fee, when goods or animals were bought, sold, or moved across their land. Imagine a farmer bringing their sheep to market. If they crossed land owned by someone with the right of toll, they might have to pay a small amount to that landowner.

Sometimes, "toll" also meant the opposite: a landowner was allowed to be free from paying tolls to other people. So, it could be a right to collect money or a right to avoid paying it.

Understanding 'Team'

The right of team was originally about justice. It gave a landowner the power to hold a court on their land. This court would judge people who were accused of wrongly owning goods or animals. For example, if someone was suspected of having stolen cattle, the landowner with "team" could hold a trial.

The word "team" comes from an old English word meaning "line." This referred to tracing the line of ownership of goods, like following a trail to see who truly owned something.

However, by the 1100s, the original meaning of "team" started to fade away. The system it was based on became less common. Even though its original purpose was largely forgotten, the term "team" continued to be used in official documents as part of the standard list of rights. Legal writers at the time often gave it new, different meanings because its true purpose was no longer clear.