Legal Definitions - extenta manerii

Extenta manerii refers to a historical English statute, enacted during the reign of King Edward I (around 1276), which mandated a comprehensive survey and detailed inventory of a manor and all its associated properties, rights, and resources. The primary purpose of this legal directive was to provide a clear, official record of the manor's assets, boundaries, tenants, income-generating capabilities, and any feudal obligations, thereby aiding in effective estate management and administration.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of extenta manerii:

• Imagine a scenario in 13th-century England where a powerful noble, Lord Ashworth, inherits a vast new manor from a distant relative. To properly understand his new holdings, assess their value, and determine the rents and services owed by his tenants, Lord Ashworth would commission a detailed survey in accordance with the principles of extenta manerii. This survey would meticulously document every field, forest, mill, village, and tenant dwelling, along with the specific rights and duties associated with each, providing him with a complete operational blueprint of his new estate.

• Consider a situation where King Edward I needed to raise funds for a military campaign. To accurately assess the wealth and taxable capacity of his kingdom's various manors, royal officials might refer to or mandate new surveys based on the framework established by extenta manerii. These surveys would provide the Crown with precise data on the agricultural output, number of livestock, and population of each manor, enabling a more equitable and efficient collection of taxes and feudal dues.

• Suppose two neighboring lords, Lord Blackwood and Lady Stonehaven, are embroiled in a dispute over the exact boundary between their respective manors, specifically concerning a valuable stretch of woodland. To resolve this conflict legally and definitively, a formal process guided by the principles of extenta manerii could be initiated. This would involve royal commissioners or local officials conducting a thorough survey, interviewing local inhabitants, and examining existing records to establish the true and historical extent of each manor, thereby settling the boundary dispute based on documented evidence.