A more thorough explanation:

A seignior is a historical term that refers to an owner or lord of a fee or manor. It can also refer to a lord who has no manor but still enjoys the other rights of lordship.

• The seignior of the manor was responsible for collecting rent from the tenants.
• The seignior in gross had no manor, but still had the right to collect taxes and hold court.

These examples illustrate how a seignior was a person who had power and authority over a specific area of land. They were responsible for collecting rent or taxes and making decisions about how the land was used.