socage

American  

[sok-ij] / ˈsɒk ɪdʒ /

Or soccage

noun

Medieval English Law.

1. a tenure of land held by the tenant in performance of specified services or by payment of rent, and not requiring military service.

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socage British  

/ ˈsɒkɪdʒ /

noun

1. English legal history the tenure of land by certain services, esp of an agricultural nature

2. English law the freehold tenure of land

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Other Word Forms

• socager
  noun

Etymology

Origin of socage

1275–1325; Middle English sokage < Anglo-French socage, equivalent to soc soke + -age -age

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

socage

Aristocratic Denmark, before the peasant war of 1255-1258, subjected the free peasantry who had been leaseholders for a term of years to unlimited socage duty.

From Principles Of Political Economy by John J. (John Joseph) Lalor

If the tenant was in an office about the king's person, this gave rise to sergeantry; the persons who cultivated his lands may be considered as holding by socage.

From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 07 (of 12) by Edmund Burke

That system has recognized as many as seven forms of tenure—ward, socage, mortification, feu, blench, burgage, booking.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3 "Fenton, Edward" to "Finistere" by Various

As they claim as joint-heirs or parceners, the land must have been subject to partibility, and therefore of socage tenure.

From Notes and Queries, Number 68, February 15, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by George Bell

By these drastic means the government kept the Eastern Townships a wilderness until after 1791, when the townships were granted out in free and common socage, and American settlers began to flock in.

From The United Empire Loyalists : A Chronicle of the Great Migration by W. Stewart (William Stewart) Wallace