Legal Definitions - peers of fees

Peers of fees is a historical legal term referring to a group of individuals who held land (known as "fees" or fiefs) from the same feudal lord. In the feudal system, these individuals were considered equals in their relationship to that particular lord and, as such, were historically responsible for judging legal disputes that arose concerning the land they held or the obligations associated with it. Essentially, they formed a court of their equals to resolve land-related conflicts within their lord's domain.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a medieval duchy where Duke Richard grants parcels of land to several knights in exchange for military service. If two of these knights, Sir Thomas and Sir William, have a disagreement over the exact boundary between their respective landholdings (their "fees"), they would bring their dispute before the other knights who also hold land from Duke Richard. These other knights would act as the peers of fees, hearing the arguments and deciding on the correct boundary, because they are all of similar status and hold their land under the same lord.

• Consider a powerful baron, Lord Edward, who has several tenants holding smaller estates from him. One tenant, Master John, claims that another tenant, Master Robert, has failed to provide the agreed-upon number of days of labor on Lord Edward's demesne (personal lands), which was a condition of his land tenure. Master John would present his complaint to the other tenants who also hold land directly from Lord Edward. These fellow tenants, being peers of fees, would then deliberate and decide whether Master Robert had indeed neglected his feudal duties.

• In a historical county ruled by a count, a dispute arises after the death of a vassal. The deceased vassal had two sons, both of whom held smaller plots of land (fees) from the count. They disagree over which son should inherit a specific, valuable parcel of their father's land. Instead of the count making the decision alone, the other vassals who held land directly from the same count would convene. These vassals, as peers of fees, would hear the claims of both brothers and apply the customary laws of inheritance to determine the rightful heir to the disputed land.