Legal Definitions - chief rents

Chief Rents

Chief rents refer to a small, fixed, and annual rent that a freeholder of a manor pays to the lord. It is also known as an annual quit rent. However, chief rents were abolished in 1922.

For instance, if a person owned a freehold property in a manor, they would have to pay a small amount of money to the lord every year. This payment is known as a chief rent. For example, if a person owned a freehold property in a manor, they might have to pay £5 per year to the lord as a chief rent.

Another example is if a person owned a freehold property in a manor, they might have to pay a chief rent of a few pence or shillings per year. This payment was usually made in cash or kind, such as a chicken or a bushel of wheat.

These examples illustrate how chief rents were a way for lords to collect a small amount of money from freeholders every year. This payment was a way for lords to maintain their authority over the manor and its inhabitants.