Legal Definitions - cotarius

A cotarius was a historical term referring to a specific type of serf in medieval England. These individuals held a small plot of land, typically including a cottage and a garden, from a lord under a system known as socage tenure. Their obligations to the lord involved a combination of paying rent, which could be in money or goods, and providing a certain amount of personal labor or services. Essentially, a cotarius was a tenant farmer who also owed labor duties to their lord.

• Example 1: Agricultural Labor
  Imagine a cotarius named Thomas who lived on a small parcel of land granted by Lord Ashworth. Thomas's rent involved providing Lord Ashworth with a portion of his annual harvest, such as a bushel of wheat. In addition to this payment in goods, Thomas was required to spend two days each week working in the lord's fields during planting and harvesting seasons. This scenario illustrates Thomas fulfilling his duties as a cotarius by both paying rent (with his harvest) and providing personal services (labor in the lord's fields).

• Example 2: Estate Maintenance and Craft Services
  Consider Elara, a cotarius who held her cottage and garden from Lady Eleanor. Elara's rent was paid by delivering a specific number of finely woven baskets to Lady Eleanor's manor house each year. Her personal services included spending one day a month assisting with general maintenance around the manor, perhaps cleaning, helping in the kitchen, or mending textiles for the household. This demonstrates a cotarius providing rent in the form of crafted goods and offering personal services that contribute to the upkeep and functioning of the lord's estate.

• Example 3: Infrastructure and Community Service
  John, a cotarius, held his land from the local Baron. His rent consisted of a small sum of silver coins paid twice a year. As part of his personal services, John was obligated to contribute a few days each season to the upkeep of the village's roads and bridges, or to help clear ditches on the Baron's wider estate. This example highlights a cotarius paying rent in money and providing labor for communal infrastructure or the general benefit of the lord's holdings.