Legal Definitions - capitalis dominus

capitalis dominus

This is a historical Latin term that translates to "chief lord." In the context of the feudal system, a capitalis dominus was the immediate lord or superior to whom a tenant directly owed allegiance, services, or rent. This individual stood as the direct link in the chain of feudal relationships for that particular tenant, even if that lord himself owed allegiance to a higher authority.

• Imagine a medieval knight, Sir Reginald, who was granted a small estate in exchange for military service. Sir Reginald received this land directly from Baron von Richter. In this scenario, Baron von Richter would be the capitalis dominus to Sir Reginald, as he was Sir Reginald's immediate lord and the one to whom Sir Reginald owed his fealty and service.

• Consider a group of peasant farmers living on a manor during the Middle Ages. These farmers worked plots of land provided by the local Lord of the Manor, Sir Kael. In return for the land and protection, the farmers owed Sir Kael a portion of their harvest and labor. Sir Kael, as the direct grantor of their land and recipient of their services, was the capitalis dominus to these peasant farmers.

• During the Norman conquest of England, William the Conqueror distributed vast tracts of land to his loyal barons. One such baron, Lord Geoffrey, received a large territory. Lord Geoffrey, in turn, subdivided some of this land and granted it to a lesser noble, Lady Eleanor, in exchange for her loyalty and a contingent of knights. For Lady Eleanor, Lord Geoffrey was her capitalis dominus, as he was her direct feudal superior from whom she held her lands.