Legal Definitions - liberum socagium

Definition: Liberum socagium is a type of lay tenure in which a tenant held lands in exchange for providing the lord husbandry-related (rather than military) service.

Example: If a peasant had to help the lord with sowing or reaping at specified times, the tenure was usually called socage. This was originally the tenure of socmen; but it became a generic term for all free services other than knight-service, serjeanty, or spiritual service.

Explanation: The example illustrates how a tenant could hold lands in exchange for providing husbandry-related services to the lord. The tenant's duties were fixed and usually involved helping the lord with farming tasks. This type of tenure was called socage and was a generic term for all free services other than knight-service, serjeanty, or spiritual service.

Related Term:Free socage is socage in which the services were both certain and honorable.

Related Term:Villein socage is socage in which the services, though certain, were of a baser nature than those provided under free socage.