Legal Definitions - mesne lord

In historical feudal systems, a mesne lord was an intermediary lord who held land from a superior lord. This lord, in turn, granted land to tenants below them, thus standing between a tenant and the chief lord.

A mesne lord was a historical figure within the feudal system, acting as an intermediary in the chain of land ownership and loyalty. This individual was a lord to those who held land from them, but simultaneously a tenant to a superior lord from whom they themselves held their land. Essentially, they occupied a middle position, owing allegiance and service upwards while receiving it downwards.

• Imagine a powerful baron in medieval England who was granted a large estate directly by the King in exchange for military service. This baron, in turn, would divide portions of his estate and grant smaller parcels of land to several knights, who then owed him loyalty and military support. In this situation, the baron is a mesne lord. He holds his land from the King (his superior lord) and is a lord to the knights (his tenants) who hold land from him.

• Consider a knight who has been granted a manor by a duke. This knight, needing to cultivate the land, allows several peasant families to live on and farm specific plots within the manor in exchange for a share of their crops and labor. Here, the knight functions as a mesne lord. He is a tenant to the duke above him, and simultaneously a lord to the peasants who work the land under his authority.

• During the medieval period, a prominent abbey might receive a significant land grant from a wealthy count. To manage and benefit from this vast property, the abbey could then lease out smaller sections to local farmers or even smaller monastic communities. In this arrangement, the abbey acts as a mesne lord. It holds its land from the count (its superior) and grants rights to use parts of that land to others (its tenants).