Legal Definitions - first fruits

First fruits refers to a historical practice in both English land law and ecclesiastical law, where a payment equivalent to the first year's profits or income was made to a superior authority.

• In historical English land law, "first fruits" (also known as primer seisin) was a payment due to the Crown upon the death of a tenant who held land directly from the King. This payment consisted of the entire profits from the land for one year, collected by the Crown before the deceased tenant's heir could fully take possession and enjoy the income.

  • Example 1: Imagine a powerful medieval baron, Lord Ashworth, who held vast estates directly from the King. When Lord Ashworth passed away, his eldest son, Sir Reginald, was set to inherit the lands. Before Sir Reginald could claim the full income from the estates for himself, the King's officials would collect the "first fruits," which amounted to one year's total profits generated by Lord Ashworth's lands. This payment acknowledged the King's ultimate ownership and control over the land before the new heir could fully benefit.

• In historical ecclesiastical law, "first fruits" (also known as annates) was a payment made by a newly appointed clergyman to the Pope, and later to the English Crown after the Reformation. This payment represented the entire first year's income from the clergyman's new church position or "benefice" (an office providing a regular income, such as a rectory or vicarage). This revenue was eventually converted into a fund known as "Queen Anne's Bounty," which was used to supplement the incomes of poorer clergy.

  • Example 2: In the 14th century, Father Thomas was appointed as the new rector of a prosperous parish in Kent. Upon his appointment, and before he could receive the full annual income from the parish's tithes and endowments, Father Thomas was required to pay the "first fruits" to the Papal authorities. This payment was equivalent to the entire income the rectory was expected to generate in its first year, serving as a significant financial contribution to the Church's central administration.

  • Example 3: Centuries later, after the English Reformation, a newly appointed vicar, Reverend Davies, took up his post in a modest rural parish during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Instead of paying the "first fruits" to the Pope, Reverend Davies would have owed this payment—the first year's income from his vicarage—to the English Crown. This shift reflected the Crown's assumption of ecclesiastical authority and revenue streams previously directed to Rome.