Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Plowland: A term used in history to measure land for assessment purposes. It was considered to be about 120 acres, which was thought to be as much land as one plow with eight oxen could plow in a year. This measurement was used to assess taxes. Another term for plowland is carucate or carve.
Definition: Plowland is a measure of land used for assessment purposes, usually considered to be around 120 acres. It is the amount of land that one plow with eight oxen could plow in a year. Plowland was used to assess taxes.
Example: In medieval England, a farmer who owned one plowland would have to pay taxes based on that amount of land.
Explanation: The example illustrates how plowland was used to assess taxes. If a farmer owned more than one plowland, they would have to pay taxes based on the number of plowlands they owned. The amount of land that could be plowed in a year was used as a measure because plowing was a common agricultural activity and it was a way to estimate the productivity of the land.