merchet

/ ˈmɜːtʃɪt /

noun

(in feudal England) a fine paid by a tenant, esp a villein, to his lord for allowing the marriage of his daughter

Origin of merchet¹

C13: from Anglo-French, literally: market

Even merchet, the most hateful of all the incidents of villeinage, is something more than a mere memory.

He laboured under many disabilities, such as the merchet or fine for marrying his daughter, and fines for selling horse or ox.

We often come across such base customs as the payment of merchet in connexion with the 'villain socmen' of ancient demesne.

Merchet was the most striking consequence of unfreedom, but manorial documents are wont to connect it with several others.

Merchet is especially interesting as illustrating the fusion of different duties into one.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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