Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Bookland is a type of land ownership that was granted to churches and important people in the past. It was a special kind of ownership that didn't have the usual rules and taxes that other types of land had. Bookland was given through a written document called a charter, which made it a free and absolute inheritance. This was different from other types of land that were held without writing and had to pay taxes and follow rules. Bookland was also called bocland or charter-land. It was an important way that religious organizations and important people acquired property in the past.
Definition: Bookland (buuk-land) refers to land held under a charter or deed, which is a privileged form of ownership usually reserved for churches and leaders. It is a freehold land that is free of customary burdens on land.
Examples: In early times, grants of land were made to religious bodies or individuals by the king with the consent of the great men. The grant was made by means of a 'book' or charter, and the land thus granted was called bocland or bookland. This type of land was held under a written instrument by private persons or churches, who were grantees of the community. The great ecclesiastical corporations acquired their property in this way.
Explanation: Bookland was a type of land ownership that was granted to religious bodies or individuals by the king. It was held under a written instrument, which made it a freehold land that was free of customary burdens on land. This type of land ownership was usually reserved for churches and leaders, and it was a privileged form of ownership. The examples illustrate how bookland was granted and acquired by religious bodies and individuals, and how it was a freehold land that was free of customary burdens on land.