Who is in charge of feudalism

Messuage - A portion of land occupied as a site for the dwelling-house and its appurtenances. Mort Dancestor - A pleading in a royal court, concerning claims by an heir that another had usurped his rightful succession to a free tenement at the death of the parent.

Mortuary - A customary gift usually the second best animal paid to the parish priest from the estate of a deceased parishioner. Multure - Payment of a fraction of the grain ground to the lord of the mill, or the miller. Naifty - The state of being born in bondage or serfdom. Nativi - Persons of servile birth. Same as Neif. Ordeal - A method of trial in which the accused was given a physical test usually painful and dangerous which could only be met successfully if he were innocent.

Outfangenethef - The lord's right to pursue a thief outside his own jurisdiction, bring him back to his own court for trial, and keep his forfeited chattels on conviction.

Palatinate - In England, a county in which the tenant-in-chief exercised powers normally reserved for the king, including the exclusive right to appoint justiciar, hold courts of chancery and exchequer, and to coin money. The king's writ was not valid in a County Palatinte.

Pannage - The payment made to the lord for the privilege of feeding beasts in the woods about the village. Pinfold - A place for confining stray or impounded cattle, horses, etc; a pound. Pittancer - An officer of a religious house who had the duty of distributing charitable gifts or allowances of food.

Pone - A writ, whereby an action could be removed from the county court into the royal court. Primogeniture - The right of the eldest son to inherit the estate or office of his father. Pytel - A small field or enclosure; a close. Provost - Feudal or royal magistrate. Quintain - Dummy with shield mounted on a post, used as a target in tilting.

Rape - The Sussex equivalent of a Hundred. Rebeck - A musical instrument, having three strings, and played with a bow; an early form of the fiddle. Reeve - Manorial overseer, usually a villager elected by tenants of the manor. Regalian - Royal. Relief - A fine paid by the heir of a vassal to the lord for the privilege of succeeding to an estate.

Replevy - To return distrained goods to their owner by process of law. Sake and soke - A right of jurisdiction claimed by some manorial lords. Scutage - Shield-tax, a tax paid in lieu of military service. Seisin - Possession.

Selions - A ridge or narrow strip lying between two furrows formed in dividing an open field. Seneschal or steward - Manager of an estate or a household. Sewery - A store-room for provisions, linen, and other table-furniture. Sheriff - The official who was the chief administrative and judicial officer of a shire. Many of his jobs were taken over by the itenerant justice, coroner, and justice of the peace.

He collected taxes and forwarded them to the exchequer after taking his share. Also responsible for making sure the king's table was well stocked while the king was in his county. Sheriff's tourn - The turn or circuit made by the sheriff of a county twice a year, in which he presided at the hundred-court in each hundred of the county. Shilling - Measure of money used only for accounting purposes and equal to 12 pennies.

Shire - English county. Sokeman - A free peasant, found in greatest numbers in the East Midlands. Squire - Knight-aspirant. Stinting - Limiting, especially the rights of pasture. Suit of mill - The obligation of tenants to resort to a special mill usually that of their lord to have their corn ground.

Sulong - A measurement of land in Kent. Equal to two hides. Tallage - A tax levied by a manorial lord upon his unfree tenants. Visiting The Met? Viking Sword. Aquamanile in the Form of a Mounted Knight. A Knight of the d'Aluye Family. Citation Norris, Michael. Gies, Joseph and Frances Gies. The feudal system was introduced to England following the invasion and conquest of the country by William I, The Conqueror.

The feudal system had been used in France by the Normans from the time they first settled there in about AD. It was a simple, but effective system, where all land was owned by the King. One quarter was kept by the King as his personal property, some was given to the church and the rest was leased out under strict controls.

The King was in complete control under the feudal system at least nominally. He owned all the land in the country and decided to whom he would lease land. From a manuscript of a chanson de geste, c. Once the commendation ceremony was complete, the lord and vassal were in a feudal relationship with agreed obligations to one another.

Using whatever equipment the vassal could obtain by virtue of the revenues from the fief, he was responsible for answering calls to military service on behalf of the lord. This security of military help was the primary reason the lord entered into the feudal relationship.

At the level of the manor this might be a fairly mundane matter of agricultural policy, but could also include sentencing by the lord for criminal offenses, including capital punishment in some cases. These are only examples; depending on the period of time and location in Europe, feudal customs and practices varied. Power in this period became more personal and decentralized. Skip to main content.

Search for:. Feudalism Learning Objective Recall the structure of the feudal state and the responsibilities and obligations of each level of society. Key Points Feudalism flourished in Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries.