Legal Definitions - subinfeudation

Subinfeudation refers to a historical practice within the feudal system where a landholder, known as a vassal, who received land (a fief) from a lord, would then grant a smaller portion of that land to another person, who became their own vassal. This new vassal would owe loyalty and services to the immediate landholder, not directly to the original, higher-ranking lord. This process could repeat, creating multiple layers of landholding relationships, each owing allegiance to the person immediately above them in the chain. This system was eventually abolished because it complicated the original lord's ability to collect taxes and services from the ultimate users of the land.

• Example 1: A Baron's Grant to a Knight

  Imagine a powerful King grants a large duchy to a Duke in exchange for military service. The Duke, in turn, needing to secure his own territory and raise forces, grants a smaller, fertile estate within that duchy to a Baron. This Baron then becomes the Duke's vassal. The Baron, to further manage his land and ensure its defense, grants a specific manor within his estate to a loyal Knight. This Knight now holds the manor from the Baron, owing military service and allegiance to the Baron, not directly to the Duke or the King.

  This illustrates subinfeudation because the Knight holds land from the Baron, who holds it from the Duke, who holds it from the King. A new, subordinate feudal relationship was created between the Baron and the Knight, distinct from the Baron's relationship with the Duke.

• Example 2: A Knight's Arrangement with a Farmer

  Continuing from the previous example, the Knight who received the manor might then allow a skilled farmer to cultivate a specific plot of land within that manor. In exchange for the right to farm, the farmer agrees to provide a portion of their harvest and labor to the Knight. The farmer's obligations are directly to the Knight, not to the Baron, Duke, or King.

  Here, the Knight has engaged in subinfeudation by creating a new, lower-level tenancy. The farmer is a vassal to the Knight, who is a vassal to the Baron, and so on. This demonstrates how the chain of landholding and loyalty could extend further down the social hierarchy.

• Example 3: A Lord and a Village Community

  Consider a wealthy Earl who holds vast tracts of land directly from the Crown. The Earl grants a significant portion of this land, including an entire village and its surrounding fields, to a local Lord. This local Lord then oversees the village. Within the village, individual families are granted the right to farm specific strips of land. These families owe their rents, services, and allegiance directly to the local Lord, not to the Earl or the Crown.

  This scenario exemplifies subinfeudation because the local Lord has created new tenancies for the villagers, who are now his vassals. The villagers' primary loyalty and obligations are to their immediate lord, not to the higher-ranking Earl, thereby creating a layered system of land tenure.