Legal Definitions - suburbani

Historically, suburbani referred to individuals who worked the land, primarily as farmers or agricultural laborers. This term was used to describe those engaged in husbandry, meaning the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock, often on smaller plots of land, typically situated near a town or city.

• Example 1: In medieval England, a small community of families lived just outside the walls of a fortified market town. These families cultivated fields of wheat and barley, tended small vegetable gardens, and raised a few pigs and chickens. They would bring their surplus produce into the town to sell at the weekly market.

  Explanation: These individuals would be considered suburbani because they were husbandmen—farmers engaged in agricultural work—and lived in the immediate vicinity, or "suburbs," of the town, supplying it with food.

• Example 2: During the Roman Empire, a family might own a modest plot of land on the periphery of a provincial city, cultivating grapes for wine and olives for oil. They would transport their goods to the city's markets to earn a living, rather than being wealthy estate owners.

  Explanation: This family fits the description of suburbani as they are husbandmen, working the land for agricultural production, and their residence and livelihood are closely tied to the nearby urban center.

• Example 3: In the early colonial period of North America, settlers established small farms on the outskirts of a burgeoning coastal settlement. They cleared land to grow corn, beans, and squash, and kept livestock like cattle and sheep, providing essential foodstuffs for both their own families and the growing population of the settlement.

  Explanation: These early farmers are examples of suburbani because they were husbandmen, directly engaged in agriculture, and their farms were located in the developing areas surrounding the main settlement, serving its needs.