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Simple English definitions for legal terms
marchet
Read a random definition: Doctors' Commons
A quick definition of marchet:
Term: MARCHET
Definition: Marchet was a fee paid by a tenant to their lord in medieval times. This fee allowed the tenant's daughter to marry someone outside of the lord's jurisdiction or waived the lord's right to have the first night with the tenant's daughter. It was also known as marcheta, marchetum, merchet, mercheta, merchetum, or maiden rent. The payment was necessary because the tenant was not allowed to give their daughter in marriage outside of the manor. This payment was seen as a sign of servility and was despised by free men.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Marchet (mahr-chet) is a historical fee paid by a feudal tenant to their lord. The fee was paid so that the tenant's daughter could marry someone outside the lord's jurisdiction or so that the lord would waive the droit du seigneur. It was also known as marcheta, marchetum, merchet, mercheta, merchetum, or maiden rent.
Example: In medieval England, a tenant who wanted to marry off their daughter to someone outside the manor had to pay a marchet to their lord. This fee was also paid to waive the lord's right to have the first night with the tenant's daughter.
Explanation: The example illustrates how a marchet was a fee paid by a tenant to their lord to allow their daughter to marry someone outside the manor. It also shows how the fee was paid to waive the lord's right to have the first night with the tenant's daughter, which was known as the droit du seigneur.