Legal Definitions - knight-service

Definition: Knight-service is a type of land tenure where a knight holds land from another person or the Crown in exchange for a promise to provide military service. It is also known as knight's service or ward holding in Scots law. This is different from other types of land tenure such as base service, socage, and villeinage.

For example, in medieval England, a knight might hold land from the king in exchange for providing military service for forty days each year. This was known as the service of one knight or fully armed horseman.

This type of land tenure was common in medieval Europe and was used to ensure that the king or lord had a ready supply of trained soldiers in times of war. The knight would be responsible for providing his own armor and weapons and would be expected to fight on horseback.