Legal Definitions - solinum

A solinum is a historical unit of land measurement used in medieval legal and administrative contexts. It referred to the amount of land that could typically be cultivated by a single plow team. Historically, a solinum had two primary meanings:

• A tract of land equivalent to a single plowland, which was generally considered to be around 120 acres, though the exact size could vary by region and time.
• A larger tract of land, slightly less than two and a half plowlands.

Examples

• Imagine a medieval charter from the 13th century where a baron, Lord Ashworth, grants land to his loyal knight, Sir Kael. The charter might state: "To Sir Kael, for his valiant service, we bestow one solinum of arable land adjacent to the Blackwood Forest."

  This example illustrates the first meaning of solinum, referring to a single plowland. By specifying "one solinum," the baron clearly defines the amount of agricultural land Sir Kael is receiving, which would be understood as sufficient for a single plow team to cultivate, typically around 120 acres, for his sustenance and to fulfill his feudal duties.

• Consider a historical land survey from the 12th century, documenting the holdings of a monastery. The survey might describe a particular parcel as: "The fertile fields bordering the River Oakhaven, extending to the old mill, are recorded as one solinum." In this specific context, the surveyors might be using the term to denote a larger, established agricultural area that, while not precisely two and a half plowlands, was understood to be a significant tract, perhaps slightly less than that full measure due to natural boundaries or historical divisions.

  This illustrates the second meaning of solinum, where it refers to a larger tract of land, specifically "slightly less than two and a half plowlands." The term here provides a recognized, albeit approximate, measure for a substantial agricultural holding within the monastery's estate.

• In a 14th-century feudal ledger, a record might detail the obligations of a tenant farmer: "John of the Hill holds one solinum from the Lord of Greystone and owes annually three bushels of wheat and two days of labor for each plowland within his holding."

  Here, the solinum serves as the basis for calculating feudal dues and services. If John's holding is identified as "one solinum" (meaning a single plowland), his obligations are directly tied to that specific unit of land. This demonstrates how the term was fundamental in the economic and administrative structure of medieval society, linking land size to required payments or labor.