Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Abbey land refers to real property that was owned by an abbey and was exempt from paying tithes. Tithes were a type of tax that people had to pay to the church. When land was owned by an abbey, it was considered to be in mortmain, which means it was held in perpetuity by a religious or other corporation. This meant that the land could not be inherited or escheat, which means it could not be taken by the government if there were no heirs. Instead, the land would always belong to the corporation that owned it.
Definition: Abbey land refers to real property that is held by an abbey in mortmain, which means it is exempt from tithes. Mortmain is the condition of lands or tenements held in perpetuity by an ecclesiastical or other corporation.
Example: In medieval times, many abbeys owned large amounts of land that were exempt from tithes. This meant that they did not have to pay taxes on the land, and the land could not be taken away from them. For example, if an abbey owned a farm, they could keep all the profits from the farm without having to pay any taxes on it.
Explanation: The example illustrates how abbey land was exempt from tithes, which means that the abbey did not have to pay any taxes on the land. This allowed abbeys to accumulate large amounts of land and wealth over time, which gave them significant power and influence in medieval society.