Legal Definitions - feodary

A feodary was a historical official in England, particularly prominent during the Tudor and early Stuart periods. This individual served the Crown through the Court of Wards and Liveries, a specialized court that managed the monarch's feudal rights over land. Their primary responsibilities involved traveling across different counties, often alongside an escheator (another royal official), to assess the value of land held under feudal tenure and to collect rents and other financial obligations due to the monarch. Essentially, they acted as the Crown's eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring the king or queen received their rightful income and maintained control over valuable lands.

Here are some examples illustrating the role of a feodary:

• Assessing an Inheritance: When a wealthy baron died, leaving a young son as his heir, the Crown often had rights of wardship over the heir and their lands until they came of age. A feodary would be dispatched to the baron's various estates to accurately determine their annual income and overall value. This assessment was crucial for the Crown to calculate the "wardship" fees it would collect and to manage the land effectively during the heir's minority. This example demonstrates the feodary's role in estimating the value of land tenures for the Crown's financial benefit.

• Collecting Royal Rents: Imagine a knight who held a significant manor directly from the King, owing an annual payment (known as a feudal rent) and certain services in return for his land tenure. A feodary would periodically travel to the knight's manor to verify the land's productivity, confirm the agreed-upon rent, and ensure its timely collection on behalf of the Crown. They might also investigate if the knight was fulfilling other feudal obligations associated with his land. This illustrates the feodary's duty to receive royal rents and monitor compliance with land tenure agreements.

• Surveying Forfeited Lands: If a powerful lord engaged in treasonous activities and his lands were subsequently confiscated by the Crown, a feodary would be among the first officials dispatched to survey and appraise these newly forfeited estates. Their detailed valuation would inform the Crown about the potential income these lands could generate, whether through direct management, by granting them to a new loyal subject, or by selling off parts. This scenario highlights the feodary's critical function in estimating the value of land tenures that had reverted to the Crown, ensuring the monarch maximized their assets.