Legal Definitions - fossage

Fossage refers to a historical payment or obligation imposed on individuals or communities to fund the upkeep and maintenance of a defensive moat surrounding a castle, town, or other fortified structure. This duty ensured the continued protection provided by the moat.

• Example 1: In the medieval Barony of Stonehaven, Lord Ashworth required all his tenant farmers and villagers to contribute an annual sum known as fossage. This money was exclusively used to pay the laborers who regularly dredged and reinforced the deep moat encircling Stonehaven Keep, the lord's primary stronghold and the central defense for the entire barony.

  Explanation: This illustrates fossage as a recurring duty (an annual sum) paid by subjects to maintain the moat around a fortification (Stonehaven Keep), ensuring its defensive integrity.

• Example 2: The fortified city of Portwatch, constantly threatened by coastal raiders, had a standing decree from its Guild Council. Every five years, all city merchants and property owners were assessed a special levy, explicitly termed fossage, to fund the extensive repairs and desilting of the wide moat that protected the city's formidable walls. Without this payment, the moat would become shallow and ineffective.

  Explanation: Here, fossage is a collective obligation (a special levy or tax) imposed on a community to ensure the maintenance of the moat surrounding their fortified city, which was crucial for their defense.

• Example 3: When Sir Kael was granted the strategic lands bordering the mountain pass, his feudalcharter included a specific condition: he was obligated to make a quarterly payment designated as fossage. This payment went directly towards the maintenance of the formidable double moat system protecting Ironhold Fortress, which guarded the pass and was vital for regional security.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates fossage as a specific, ongoing payment tied to a landholding, made to ensure the upkeep of a moat around a critical defensive fortification (Ironhold Fortress).