Legal Definitions - a me de superiore meo

A me de superiore meo is a historical Latin legal phrase that translates to "from me, of my superior." In the context of medieval feudal land law, this phrase was used in a land grant to specify that the person receiving the land (the grantee) would not hold it directly from the immediate grantor, but rather from the grantor's own superior lord.

This arrangement effectively transferred the grantee's loyalty and obligations (such as homage, fealty, and military service) up the feudal chain, establishing a direct relationship between the grantee and the grantor's superior for that specific piece of land. It was a way to bypass an intermediate lord in the feudal hierarchy for the purpose of establishing direct vassalage to a higher authority.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a powerful Duke who holds a large territory directly from the King. The Duke decides to grant a smaller portion of his territory, a fortified castle and its surrounding lands, to a loyal Knight as a reward for valor. If the Duke's charter for this grant includes the clause "a me de superiore meo," it means that while the Duke is the immediate grantor, the Knight will technically hold that castle and land directly from the King, not from the Duke. The Knight's primary feudal obligations, such as military service or an oath of fealty for that specific holding, would be owed directly to the King, bypassing the Duke in the chain of command for that particular property.

• Consider a Baron who holds several manors from a regional Count. The Baron wishes to reward his trusted Steward by granting him one of these manors. If the Baron's grant to the Steward specifies "a me de superiore meo," the Steward would become a direct vassal of the Count for that particular manor, even though the Baron was the one who physically transferred the land. This means the Steward's allegiance and any required payments or services for that manor would be directed to the Count, rather than solely to the Baron.

• During a period of feudal expansion, a Lord holds vast tracts of newly conquered land from an Emperor. The Lord then grants a strategic village and its agricultural lands to a local Chieftain to manage and defend. By incorporating the "a me de superiore meo" clause into the grant, the Lord ensures that the Chieftain, while receiving the land from the Lord, would owe his feudal allegiance and duties for that specific village directly to the Emperor. This could strengthen the Emperor's direct control over more vassals, even those initially granted land by his subordinates, thereby consolidating imperial power.