Legal Definitions - sergeantry

Sergeantry (also spelled Serjeanty) refers to a historical form of land tenure in feudal England where a tenant held land from a lord, often the King, in exchange for performing a specific, personal service, rather than providing military service or paying rent.

This system was distinct from other forms of tenure because the service was highly individualized and often tied to the tenant's person or household. Sergeantry was typically divided into two main categories:

• Grand Serjeanty: Involved performing honorable, often ceremonial, personal services directly for the King. These services were considered significant and often related to the King's person, household, or royal events.
• Petit Serjeanty: Involved performing lesser, often menial or practical, personal services for any lord (not exclusively the King). These services were still specific but not necessarily ceremonial or as prestigious as those under grand serjeanty.

Here are some examples to illustrate sergeantry:

• Example 1 (Grand Serjeanty): Imagine a noble family in medieval England who held a vast estate directly from the Crown. Their tenure was contingent upon the head of their household personally serving as the King's chief falconer, responsible for training and managing the royal hunting birds, whenever the King went hawking. This was a specific, honorable, and personal service rendered directly to the monarch.

  How this illustrates sergeantry: This scenario exemplifies grand serjeanty because the land is held in exchange for a highly specific, personal, and honorable service performed directly for the King, rather than military duty or monetary payment.

• Example 2 (Petit Serjeanty): Consider a farmer who held a small plot of land from a local baron. The terms of his tenure required him to deliver a specific quantity of fresh eggs and a dozen chickens to the baron's kitchen every month. This was a regular, practical service provided to his immediate lord.

  How this illustrates sergeantry: This demonstrates petit serjeanty. The farmer holds his land by performing a defined, practical service for his lord. The service is personal and specific, but not necessarily ceremonial or directly for the King, distinguishing it from grand serjeanty.

• Example 3 (Grand Serjeanty): A particular family historically held a significant manor from the King, with the condition that one member of their lineage would always serve as the royal standard-bearer, carrying the King's personal banner into battle or during important state processions. This was a highly visible and symbolic duty.

  How this illustrates sergeantry: This example further illustrates grand serjeanty. The land is held in return for a specific, personal, and honorable service directly related to the King's person and authority, highlighting the unique nature of this form of feudal landholding.