Legal Definitions - accola

The term accola, historically, refers to two main concepts:

• In Roman law, an accola was an individual who inhabited or occupied land situated very close to a specific place, landmark, or boundary.

• In a historical context, particularly during feudal times, an accola was an agricultural tenant or, more broadly, an inhabitant or tenant of a manor or a larger landed estate.

Here are some examples to illustrate these meanings:

• Example 1 (Roman Law - Proximity): Imagine a Roman citizen whose property directly bordered the city's main aqueduct. This individual, living immediately adjacent to such a vital public infrastructure, could be referred to as an accola of the aqueduct. This demonstrates the term's application to someone occupying land in close proximity to a notable feature or boundary.

• Example 2 (Historical - Agricultural Tenant): Consider a family in medieval France who farmed a specific plot of land within the vast estate owned by a local lord. They paid rent, often in the form of crops or labor, to the lord for the right to cultivate that land. This family, as tenants working the land within the lord's domain, would have been considered accola, signifying their status as agricultural tenants of the estate.

• Example 3 (Historical - Estate Inhabitant): During the feudal era, a miller operated a mill situated within the boundaries of a large barony. Although he wasn't directly farming, his dwelling and business were integral parts of the barony, and he owed certain services or payments to the baron. In this scenario, the miller would also be an accola of the barony, representing an inhabitant or tenant within a defined landed estate, even if not primarily agricultural.