Legal Definitions - manse

The term manse has evolved in its legal and common usage, primarily referring to a dwelling or a parcel of land, often with historical or ecclesiastical connotations.

• Historically, a parcel of land: In early legal contexts, particularly during the medieval period, a manse could refer to a portion of land considered sufficient to support a single family, often measured by the amount of land a team of oxen could cultivate in a year. This emphasized the land's capacity for sustenance.
• Historically, a dwelling house: In other historical contexts, a manse could refer specifically to a dwelling house, sometimes with its associated outbuildings, even if the land component was less emphasized or implied.
• In Scotland, a minister's residence: In modern Scottish legal and ecclesiastical practice, a manse specifically designates the official residence provided for a minister of a church, typically the Church of Scotland.

Examples:

• Imagine a feudal charter from 13th-century England where a lord grants a peasant family a "manse" in exchange for their labor. In this instance, the "manse" would not merely be a house, but a specific plot of arable land—perhaps 20-30 acres—that the family could farm to grow crops and raise livestock, ensuring their self-sufficiency. This illustrates the historical meaning of a land parcel large enough to sustain a family.

• Consider a property deed from 1650s colonial America that describes the sale of "the dwelling house and its manse" to a new settler. Here, "manse" likely refers to the main residential structure itself, possibly including a small garden plot or yard immediately surrounding it, rather than a vast agricultural estate. This highlights the meaning of a dwelling house, often with its immediate appurtenances.

• In a contemporary Scottish village, the local Church of Scotland congregation might discuss the need for repairs to "the manse." Everyone in the community would understand this to mean the house where their minister lives, which is owned and maintained by the church for the minister's use. This exemplifies the specific Scottish usage of the term for a minister's official residence.