Legal Definitions - boc

A boc is a historical term referring to a written document, particularly one used in Anglo-Saxon England to formally transfer ownership or rights concerning land.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Royal Land Grant: Imagine a meticulously crafted document from the 9th century, bearing the seal of a powerful Anglo-Saxon king. This document formally grants a large estate, including forests, rivers, and several villages, to a loyal nobleman in recognition of his service. The document details the precise boundaries of the land and confirms the nobleman's perpetual right to possess and profit from it.

  This example demonstrates a "boc" as a historical written instrument that directly conveys a significant parcel of land and its associated rights from a sovereign power to an individual, establishing legal ownership.

• Church Endowment: Consider a charter from the 11th century where a wealthy landowner, seeking spiritual merit, formally dedicates a portion of their ancestral lands, including a mill and several acres of arable fields, to a local monastery. The document specifies the exact plots of land being transferred and outlines the conditions under which the monastery will hold them, often in perpetuity, for the support of its religious activities.

  Here, the "boc" functions as a historical written record that transfers land ownership from a private individual to a religious institution, clearly illustrating its role in conveying property rights.

• Confirmation of Inheritance: Picture a document from the early medieval period, perhaps drawn up after the death of a prominent family patriarch. This "boc" formally records and confirms the division of the family's agricultural lands among his surviving children. It lists each heir and the specific fields, pastures, and associated rights (such as access to a common pasture or timber rights) that they are now legally entitled to possess as their inheritance.

  This example shows a "boc" as a historical written document used to formalize and confirm the transfer of land ownership through inheritance, ensuring clear legal title for the new proprietors.