Legal Definitions - farley

Farley is a historical legal term that referred to a specific type of payment made by a tenant to their landlord, primarily in the west of England. It was a sum of money paid instead of a physical item of personal property (known as a "chattel"), which would otherwise have been due to the landlord. This payment often occurred in situations where a traditional "heriot" (a death duty, typically the best beast or chattel of a deceased tenant) was owed, but the tenant or their estate opted to pay money instead.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of farley:

• Imagine a tenant farmer in 17th-century Cornwall who passes away. According to the feudal agreement governing the land, the lord of the manor is entitled to the farmer's best ox as a "heriot" upon the tenant's death. However, the farmer's widow, needing the ox for plowing and sustenance, negotiates with the lord to pay a specific sum of money that is equivalent to the ox's value, rather than surrendering the animal itself. This monetary payment, made in place of the physical ox, would be considered a farley.

  This example demonstrates a farley as a payment of money made by a tenant's estate to a landlord, substituting for a valuable chattel (the ox) that was legally due as a death duty, within the specified historical and regional context.

• Consider a situation in 16th-century Devon where a tenant wishes to transfer their leasehold interest in a piece of land to their adult child. The custom of the manor dictates that upon such a transfer, a specific piece of valuable farm equipment, perhaps a sturdy plow or a set of tools, must be given to the lord. To avoid losing this essential equipment, which is vital for the family's livelihood, the tenant pays the lord a pre-agreed amount of money to satisfy this obligation. This payment would also be an instance of a farley.

  Here, the farley is a monetary payment made by the tenant to the lord, serving as a substitute for a specific chattel (the farm equipment) that was due upon a change in tenancy, illustrating the "in lieu of a chattel" aspect.

• In medieval Somerset, a tenant's agreement might have included an obligation to provide the lord with a certain number of sheep or a specific quantity of wool annually. One year, perhaps due to a harsh winter or disease, the tenant's flock is significantly reduced, making it impossible to meet the obligation with physical animals or wool. To fulfill their duty without providing the actual chattels, the tenant pays the lord the market value of the missing sheep or wool in coin. If this was a customary and accepted substitution in the west of England, this payment could be referred to as a farley.

  This example illustrates a farley as a payment of money by a tenant to their landlord, replacing a customary obligation to provide specific chattels (sheep or wool) that could not be fulfilled physically.