Legal Definitions - tenant par la verge

Tenant par la verge is a historical legal term from medieval England, literally translating to "tenant by the rod." It refers to a specific type of landholder known as a copyholder. These tenants did not own their land outright (as in freehold ownership), but held it according to the established customs of a particular manor.

Their right to occupy and use the land was formally recognized and recorded in the manor's court rolls. The phrase "by the rod" refers to a symbolic ceremony where the tenant would receive a rod or staff from the lord's steward during their admission to the tenancy. This act signified their acceptance of the land under the lord's authority and the manor's customs. This symbolic gesture, combined with the official entry in the court records, constituted their legal title to the land.

• Example 1: Inheritance within a Manor

  In the year 1450, after the death of his father, Thomas seeks to inherit the family's small farm within the Manor of Blackwood. Thomas appears before the manorial court, presided over by the lord's steward. During the ceremony, the steward hands Thomas a symbolic rod, signifying the transfer of the tenancy. Thomas then pledges fealty and pays a customary fee. His name is subsequently entered into the manor's court rolls as the new tenant of the farm, replacing his deceased father. This entry, combined with the symbolic act of receiving the rod, establishes Thomas as a tenant par la verge, holding his land according to the manor's customs.

• Example 2: Granting of New Land

  A newly married couple, Elara and John, wish to establish a home and farm within the Manor of Greystone in 1520. The lord agrees to grant them a vacant plot of land. Elara and John attend the manorial court. The lord's steward formally admits them to the tenancy. As part of the customary ritual, the steward presents John with a small wooden rod, symbolizing the grant of the land. Their names, along with a description of the plot, are meticulously recorded in the court rolls. This act of receiving the rod and the subsequent entry in the official records legally establishes Elara and John as tenants par la verge, giving them the right to cultivate and reside on the land under the manor's established customs.