Legal Definitions - reve

A reve (also commonly spelled reeve) was a historical local official, primarily found in medieval England. This individual served as a chief administrative officer or bailiff for a lord, managing the affairs of a specific estate, known as a manor, or a designated territory called a franchise. Their duties often included overseeing agricultural work, collecting rents and taxes, maintaining order, and sometimes administering minor justice on behalf of their lord.

• Imagine a large medieval manor in the 13th century. The lord of the manor, often absent, relies on his reve to manage the daily operations. The reve would be responsible for ensuring the serfs and tenants fulfilled their labor obligations, overseeing the planting and harvesting of crops, and maintaining the manor's accounts. This demonstrates the reve's role as a direct manager of the lord's agricultural and economic interests.

• Consider a royal franchise granted to a powerful baron, giving him significant authority over a particular town and its surrounding lands. The baron might appoint a reve to act as his representative, tasked with collecting taxes from the townspeople and ensuring that royal decrees or the baron's own laws were upheld. The reve would also be the first point of contact for disputes among the common folk, bringing more serious matters to the baron's court. This highlights the reve's function in maintaining order and collecting revenue within a defined jurisdiction.

• During a period when a noble family owned multiple scattered estates, a specific reve might be assigned to each estate. For instance, a reve for the northern estate would be responsible for inspecting the condition of the buildings, ensuring the livestock were healthy, and reporting any encroachments on the land by neighboring lords. This illustrates the reve's role in the direct oversight and protection of the lord's property and assets.