Legal Definitions - superinfeudation

Superinfeudation is a historical legal term from the feudal system. It describes the process by which a lord, who already held a large feudal estate, would grant smaller portions of that estate as new "feuds" (landholdings) to their own vassals. This action created additional layers within the feudal hierarchy, with the new vassals owing service and allegiance directly to the lord who granted them the land. Essentially, it was the act of a superior lord carving out and distributing smaller landholdings from their existing domain to establish new feudal relationships.

Here are some examples to illustrate superinfeudation:

• A King Establishing New Baronies: Imagine a newly crowned king in medieval England who possesses vast royal lands. To consolidate his power and ensure military support, he decides to grant large tracts of these royal lands to his most trusted knights and loyal supporters. Each knight receives a significant "feud" carved directly out of the royal estate, becoming a baron and owing direct allegiance and military service to the King.

  This is an example of superinfeudation because the King, as the supreme lord, is creating and granting new feuds directly from his primary landholding to establish new feudal relationships and expand his network of vassals.

• A Duke Dividing His Duchy: Consider a powerful Duke in medieval France who holds a large duchy, which he received from the King. To better manage his extensive territory and raise a substantial army, the Duke decides to divide parts of his duchy into smaller lordships. He then grants these smaller lordships as feuds to various counts and loyal knights. These counts and knights become his direct vassals, responsible for administering their respective areas and providing military service to the Duke.

  Here, the Duke is performing superinfeudation by creating new, smaller feuds out of his existing large feudal estate (the duchy) and granting them to new vassals, thereby extending his own feudal network and authority.

• A Baron Creating New Manors: Picture a wealthy Baron in medieval Germany who holds a substantial feudal estate, including several existing manors and large areas of undeveloped land. To increase his agricultural output and population, the Baron decides to establish new manors on some of the undeveloped land within his estate. He then grants these newly formed manors as feuds to lesser knights or loyal retainers, who become his tenants-in-chief for those specific manors, responsible for their administration and providing services to the Baron.

  This situation demonstrates superinfeudation because the Baron is granting new feuds (the newly established manors) from his larger, existing feudal estate to create new feudal relationships and expand his domain's productivity and influence.