Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: BOCKLAND
Definition: Bockland, also known as bookland, was a type of land ownership in medieval England. It was land that was held under a written charter or deed, which made it a freehold and exempt from many of the customary burdens on land. This type of ownership was usually reserved for churches and leaders, and was considered a privileged form of ownership. Bockland was different from folkland, which was land held according to local custom, and loanland, which was land held by tenants. The practice of granting land under a written charter was common in early England, and helped to establish the property rights of private individuals and religious institutions.
Definition: Bockland is a type of land ownership that was held under a charter or deed, also known as freehold land. It was a privileged form of ownership that was usually reserved for churches and leaders, and it was free of the customary burdens on land.
Example: Land that was granted to religious bodies or individuals by the king with the consent of the great men, who in conjunction with the great ecclesiastics, formed the Witenagemot, or Assembly of the Wise, was called Bockland. This land was held with more easy and commodious conditions than folkland and copy-hold land held without writing.
Explanation: Bockland was a type of land ownership that was granted to private persons or churches under a written instrument. It was a free and absolute inheritance, unlike land without writing, which was charged with payment and bondage. Bockland was usually possessed by noblemen and persons of quality, while rustics possessed land without writing. The practice of granting land to religious bodies or individuals prevailed chiefly in favor of religious houses, and in this way, the great ecclesiastical corporations acquired their property.