socman

American  

[sok-muhn, sohk-] / ˈsɒk mən, ˈsoʊk- /

noun

plural

socmen

1. sokeman.

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socman British  

/ ˈsəʊk-, ˈsɒkmən, ˈsəʊkmən /

noun

1. English history a tenant holding land by socage

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Etymology

Origin of socman

C16: from Anglo-Latin socmannus; see _soke

Example Sentences

Their decision is in contradiction with almost all the recorded cases; it was always assumed that the stiff Domesday terminology was quite insufficient to show whether a man was a pure villain or a free man holding in villainage, which last would be the villain socman in ancient demesne.

From Project Gutenberg

If this privilege came into being merely by the fixation of status at the time when a manor passed from the crown, the state of the villain pure would have got fixed in the same way as that of the villain socman.

From Project Gutenberg

In the status of the socman, developed from the law of Saxon free-men, there was usually nothing of the kind.

From Project Gutenberg

Further, we see that the socman's tenure is distinguished from free tenure, socmen from freeholders.

From Project Gutenberg

I will just recall to the reader's mind the fundamental facts: that the 'little writ of right' was to insure justice according to the custom of the manor, and that our documents distinguish in as many words between the customary admittance of the socman and the feoffment of the freeholder.

From Project Gutenberg