Legal Definitions - marchet

The term marchet refers to a historical fee paid by a feudal tenant to their lord during the medieval period.

This payment was primarily required for two main reasons:

• To obtain the lord's permission for a tenant's daughter (and sometimes a son) to marry, especially if the marriage involved someone from outside the lord's direct jurisdiction or manor. This allowed the lord to maintain control over his labor force and population.
• Historically, it was also sometimes cited as a payment to waive the lord's alleged "droit du seigneur" (a supposed right of the lord to sleep with a tenant's bride on her wedding night), although modern historical scholarship suggests the primary purpose of the marchet was more about the lord's control over marriage and the movement of his tenants.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of a marchet:

• Example 1: Marriage Outside the Lord's Jurisdiction

  Imagine a tenant farmer, Elara, living on Lord Ashworth's estate. Elara's daughter, Lyra, falls in love with a skilled carpenter from a neighboring village that belongs to a different lord, Baron Thorne. For Lyra to marry the carpenter and move to Baron Thorne's lands, Elara would be required to pay a marchet to Lord Ashworth. This fee would compensate Lord Ashworth for the loss of Lyra's labor and any future children she might have had on his estate, as well as acknowledge his authority over his tenants' personal lives and movement.

• Example 2: Acknowledging Lord's Authority Over Marriage

  Consider a serf named Thomas, who lives and works on the lands of Duke Valerius. Thomas's son, Arthur, wishes to marry a young woman from a different hamlet, but one that is still within Duke Valerius's vast feudal territory. Even though Arthur and his bride would remain under the Duke's overall authority, Thomas would still likely need to pay a marchet to Duke Valerius. This payment would serve as a formal request for permission and an acknowledgment of the Duke's feudal right to oversee and approve marriages among his tenants, reinforcing their status as bound to his will.

• Example 3: Securing Permission for a Daughter's Marriage

  A peasant family, the Millers, are tenants on Lady Eleanor's manor. Their eldest daughter, Beatrice, is arranged to marry a young man from a nearby farm, also within Lady Eleanor's manor. To proceed with the marriage, the Millers would pay a marchet to Lady Eleanor. This fee ensures that Lady Eleanor grants her consent for the union, asserting her control over the family formation within her domain and confirming that the marriage adheres to the customs and rules of her feudal estate.