Legal Definitions - forinsec service

In historical feudal law, forinsec service refers to obligations or duties tied to a piece of land that a tenant owed to a lord *higher* than their immediate landlord. These services were considered "foreign" to the direct agreement between the tenant and their immediate lord because they originated from the land's ultimate owner or a higher lord in the feudal hierarchy, and were passed down through intermediate lords.

Essentially, while a tenant might have a direct agreement with their immediate lord (e.g., to pay rent or provide specific labor), the land itself could carry additional, pre-existing obligations to a more powerful overlord. These obligations were the forinsec service.

• Example 1: Military Levy

  Imagine a King (the ultimate overlord) grants a large territory to a Duke. The Duke, in turn, grants a smaller estate within that territory to a Baron. The Baron then grants a specific manor to a Knight. The Knight's direct agreement with the Baron might involve attending the Baron's court or providing a small annual payment. However, the King has a standing requirement that the Duke provide a certain number of armed knights for royal military campaigns. This obligation passes down the feudal chain. When the King calls for troops, the Knight, through the Baron and Duke, is expected to provide military service. This military service is a forinsec service for the Knight because it is an obligation tied to the land that ultimately benefits the King, not a direct term of the Knight's personal bargain with the Baron.

• Example 2: Infrastructure Maintenance

  Consider a powerful Earl who holds land directly from the Crown. The Earl grants a village and surrounding fields to a local Lord. This local Lord then leases a specific farm within the village to a farmer. The farmer's immediate agreement with the local Lord might involve providing a portion of their harvest. However, the Earl, as part of his obligations to the Crown, is responsible for maintaining a major bridge that crosses a river near the village, which is crucial for trade and royal travel. The Earl might then require the local Lord, and by extension the farmers on the land, to contribute labor or materials for the bridge's upkeep. This contribution to bridge maintenance is a forinsec service for the farmer because it is an obligation tied to the land that ultimately serves the Earl's duty to the Crown, rather than being a direct term of the farmer's lease agreement with the local Lord.

• Example 3: Special Financial Aid

  Suppose a wealthy Bishop holds vast lands directly from the King. The Bishop grants a large tract of land to a local Squire. The Squire then allows several peasant families to cultivate plots within that tract, in exchange for a share of their crops and a few days of labor each year. Periodically, the King might levy a special tax or "aid" on all lands to fund a royal wedding or a new castle. This demand for funds would pass from the King to the Bishop, then to the Squire, and finally to the peasant families. The payment of this special "aid" by the peasant families is a forinsec service because it is an obligation originating from the King, passed down through the feudal hierarchy, and is distinct from the direct terms of their agreement with the Squire for cultivating their plots.