Legal Definitions - grossome

The term grossome is a historical legal term, synonymous with gressume. It refers to a payment, often a fine or fee, made by a tenant to a landlord under specific circumstances related to their tenancy. These payments were typically required upon events such as the renewal of a lease, the inheritance of a tenancy, or the transfer of tenancy rights to another party. It is not a term used in modern property law but reflects historical practices of land tenure.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a grossome:

• Example 1: Lease Renewal

  Imagine a tenant farmer in 15th-century England whose lease on a plot of land from the local lord is about to expire. To ensure he can continue farming the land for another term, the farmer is required to pay a sum of money, a grossome, to the lord of the manor as part of the lease renewal process. This payment secured his continued right to occupy and cultivate the land.

  This example illustrates a grossome as a payment made to a landlord for the continuation or renewal of a tenancy agreement, a common historical application of the term.

• Example 2: Inheritance of Tenancy

  Consider a situation where a tenant, who held land under a lord, passes away. His eldest son wishes to inherit the tenancy and continue living and working on the land that has been in his family for generations. Before the son can legally assume the tenancy rights and obligations, he must present a grossome to the lord. This payment acknowledges the transfer of the tenancy from the deceased father to the son and secures the lord's recognition of the new tenant.

  Here, the grossome functions as a fee paid upon the transfer of a tenancy due to inheritance, ensuring the landlord's consent and formal recognition of the new tenant.

• Example 3: Transfer of Tenancy Rights

  Suppose a tenant, with the lord's permission, decides to move to another village and wishes to transfer his tenancy rights over his cottage and small plot of land to a new individual. Before this transfer can be finalized and the new individual can take legal possession, either the outgoing tenant or the incoming tenant (depending on the specific customs of the manor) would be required to pay a grossome to the lord. This payment served as a fee for the lord's approval and formal recognition of the new tenant.

  This example demonstrates a grossome as a payment associated with the alienation or transfer of a tenancy to a third party, ensuring the landlord's consent and formalizing the change in occupancy.