Legal Definitions - manorial system

The manorial system was a medieval system of land ownership where serfs and some freemen cultivated the soil of a manor in exchange for a lord's protection. A manor was a feudal estate, usually granted by the king to a lord or other high person and cultivated as a unit.

In more ancient times, the lord's manor included a village community, usually composed of serfs. The manor was a unit of public law, of police and fiscal law, a unit in the system of agriculture, a unit in the management of property, and a jurisdictional unit. However, hardly one of these traits can be considered as absolutely essential.

By the end of the 11th century, the main element of a manor was the feudal lord, and soon he came to be regarded as the owner of the manor, and to have authority over the tenants, and the right to hold a court for them. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, a manor also implied a right of jurisdiction exercised through a court baron, attended by both freeholders and villein tenants. In the eighteenth century, the manorial court decayed rapidly, cases being generally brought in the King's courts, the only surviving business being copyhold conveyancing.

For example, a lord would grant a piece of land to a serf or freeman in exchange for their labor and loyalty. The lord would provide protection and justice for the serf or freeman, and in return, they would work the land and provide a portion of their crops or goods to the lord.

Another example is the reputed manor, which is a manor in which the demesne lands and services become absolutely separated. The manor is no longer a manor in actuality, only in reputation. It is also termed seigniory in gross.

In the United States, a manor can refer to a tract of land occupied by tenants who pay rent to a proprietor. Finally, a manor can also refer to a mansion on an estate.