Legal Definitions - bocland

The term bocland, also known as bookland, refers to a specific type of land tenure that existed in Anglo-Saxon England. It was land granted by a written charter or "book" (from which the name derives), typically by the king or another powerful lord, to an individual or an ecclesiastical institution like a monastery.

Unlike other forms of landholding at the time, bookland conferred a more secure and often hereditary right to the land. The written charter specified the terms of the grant, which usually meant the land was free from certain customary burdens or services that were typically owed to the crown, such as providing food rents or military service. It could also be freely alienated (sold or transferred) or inherited, making it a valuable and desirable form of property.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of bookland:

• Example 1: Royal Grant to a Monastery

  Imagine King Alfred the Great, in the 9th century, wishing to support the growing influence of Christianity. He issues a formal charter, a "book," granting a large tract of fertile farmland to a newly established monastery. This charter specifies that the land is to be held by the monastery in perpetuity, free from the usual royal taxes or obligations to provide soldiers for the king's army. This land would be considered bookland because its ownership and privileges are formally documented and secured by a written royal grant, allowing the monastery to manage it independently and pass it down through its abbots.

• Example 2: Nobleman's Reward for Loyalty

  Consider a powerful Anglo-Saxon ealdorman (a high-ranking royal official) in the 10th century who wants to reward a loyal warrior for exceptional service in battle. Instead of merely allowing the warrior to use a piece of land, the ealdorman issues a charter, formally granting a specific estate to the warrior and his heirs. This charter explicitly states that the land is now the warrior's property, can be inherited by his children, and is not subject to the ealdorman's direct control or demands for customary labor. This grant creates bookland, providing the warrior with a secure, inheritable, and alienable property right that he can pass on or even sell if he chooses.

• Example 3: Inheritance and Sale of Family Land

  Picture a family in the 11th century whose ancestors received a grant of land from a king centuries prior, documented by a royal charter. Over generations, this land has been passed down through inheritance. When the current head of the family decides to move to a different region, they are able to sell this land to another wealthy landowner. The ability to inherit and then freely sell this property, backed by the original written charter that established its secure and independent status, demonstrates that it is bookland. Its ownership is not merely customary but formally established and transferable.