free socage

noun

1. Medieval History. land held by a tenant who rendered certain honorable and nonservile duties to his lord.

Example Sentences

Long before this—even in the thirteenth century—'free socage' was the name of a freehold tenure fully protected by the King's Courts.

From Project Gutenberg

Free socage is often mentioned in these manors, and it is frequently pleaded in order to get a trial transferred to the Common Law Courts.

From Project Gutenberg

As a classification of tenures the passage would not be complete, of course, since neither the important species of free socage recognised by Domesday nor the ancient demesne tenure appears.

From Project Gutenberg

In the law books of the time the free but non-military tenure has to be characterised not merely as socage, but as free socage: this fact will give us a second clue in analysing the condition.

From Project Gutenberg

There can be no doubt also that the more ancient surveys disclose a difference in point of quantity between free and servile holdings, and this again is a strong argument for the belief that free socage must not be considered merely as an emancipated servile tenancy.

From Project Gutenberg