A more thorough explanation:

Definition: A socman is a person who owns land through socage tenure.

Explanation: In the past, land ownership was often tied to a system of feudalism. Socage was a type of feudal land tenure where the tenant would provide a service to the lord of the manor in exchange for the right to use the land. A socman was someone who held land through this system.

Example: John inherited a small piece of land from his father, who had been a socman. John now holds the land through socage tenure, which means he must provide a service to the lord of the manor in exchange for the right to use the land.