Legal Definitions - metteshep

Definition: Metteshep (meet-shəp) is a historical term that refers to:

1. An acknowledgment paid in a measure of corn.
2. A penalty imposed on a tenant for neglect of duty, such as failing to cut the lord's corn.

It is also spelled as mettenschep.

1. The lord of the manor demanded a metteshep of one bushel of corn from each tenant as a form of tribute.

2. The tenant was fined a metteshep of two bushels of corn for not fulfilling his obligation to harvest the lord's corn.

These examples illustrate how metteshep was used as a form of payment or penalty in feudal societies. Tenants were required to pay a certain amount of corn as a tribute to their lord, and failing to do so would result in a metteshep penalty. This system helped maintain the power and wealth of the lords, while also ensuring that the tenants fulfilled their duties and obligations.