Legal Definitions - decenary

A decenary (also spelled decennary) was a historical administrative unit in medieval England, typically comprising ten freeholding families and their households. This system was a cornerstone of early English law enforcement, where the members of a decenary were collectively responsible for each other's good behavior. If an offense occurred within their district, the decenary was obligated under a system known as frankpledge to produce the accused wrongdoer to the authorities. Essentially, it was a local community bound by mutual accountability for maintaining peace and order.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a decenary:

• Example 1: A Dispute Over Property
  Imagine a small agricultural community in 11th-century England. Ten families, each owning their land, form a decenary. One day, a dispute arises between two members, John and Thomas, over the boundary of their fields, leading to a minor altercation. Instead of individual punishment, the other eight families in the decenary would be responsible for ensuring that both John and Thomas appeared before the local lord's court to resolve the matter peacefully. If either John or Thomas attempted to flee or refused to cooperate, the entire decenary would face penalties, demonstrating their collective accountability for the conduct of their members.

• Example 2: Theft in the Village
  Consider a decenary situated near a busy trade route. When goods are stolen from a traveling merchant passing through their village, suspicion falls upon a young man named Robert, who is a member of one of the decenary's families. Under the decenary system, the other nine families, along with Robert's own, would be legally bound to find Robert and present him to the sheriff or local magistrate for questioning and trial. Their failure to produce him would result in a collective fine or other punishment for the entire decenary, highlighting the strong incentive for mutual oversight and enforcement of the law.

• Example 3: Maintaining Public Order
  In a decenary responsible for a specific hamlet, the families collectively ensured that no vagrants or unknown individuals stayed for extended periods without being accounted for. If a stranger arrived and committed a minor disturbance, such as public drunkenness, the decenary would be expected to either vouch for the individual if they were known to them, or, more likely, ensure they were brought before the local reeve (an official) to explain their presence and actions. This proactive role in monitoring and maintaining order within their defined territory exemplifies the decenary's function as a self-policing unit.