Legal Definitions - socager

A socager was a historical term for an individual who held land under a specific type of land tenure known as socage. In medieval England, socage was a common form of freehold tenure where a tenant held land from a lord in exchange for non-military services or payments, rather than military service. These services often included agricultural labor, providing goods, or making regular monetary payments (rent).

• Example 1: The Farmer's Annual Rent

  Imagine a farmer named John in 14th-century England. John cultivates a plot of land that belongs to the local baron. Instead of fighting in the baron's army, John's obligation for holding this land is to deliver a fixed quantity of wheat and a certain number of chickens to the baron's manor house each year. In this scenario, John is a socager because his right to occupy and use the land is based on providing specific, non-military agricultural goods as a form of rent.

• Example 2: The Village Carpenter's Labor

  Consider a village carpenter named Eleanor who lives and works on a small parcel of land granted by the local lord. Eleanor does not pay money or provide goods directly, but her tenure requires her to spend two weeks each year performing carpentry tasks for the lord, such as repairing fences or building new structures on the lord's estate. Eleanor is a socager because her landholding is contingent upon providing a defined non-military service (skilled labor) to her lord.

• Example 3: The Fixed Monetary Payment

  Picture a small landowner, Robert, who holds a modest plot of land directly from the Crown. Robert's only obligation for this land is to pay a fixed sum of money, perhaps a few shillings, to the royal treasury every year. This payment is consistent regardless of agricultural output or military needs. Robert is a socager because his tenure is based purely on a regular, fixed monetary payment, which was a common and increasingly prevalent form of socage as the feudal system evolved.