Legal Definitions - wardage

Wardage historically referred to a feudal obligation, typically a payment or service, owed by a tenant to their lord. This obligation was often connected to the duty of "watch and ward," which involved guarding a castle, town, or specific area. It could also represent a payment made in lieu of performing such guard duties, or a contribution towards the maintenance of defensive structures.

• Example 1: Monetary Payment for Exemption

  Imagine a medieval farmer who held land from a local baron. Instead of personally spending several nights each year standing guard on the castle walls (a duty known as "watch and ward"), the farmer paid a small annual sum to the baron. This payment allowed him to be excused from the physical guard duty.

  This annual payment is an example of wardage, as it was a monetary contribution made to fulfill a feudal obligation related to security and defense, in lieu of performing the actual service.

• Example 2: Service as an Obligation

  Consider a knight who was granted a manor by a duke. As part of his tenure, the knight was required to provide a detachment of his own soldiers to patrol the duke's borderlands for three months every year, ensuring the safety of the territory from raiders. This military service was a condition of his landholding.

  The provision of soldiers for patrol and defense constitutes the knight's wardage obligation, demonstrating how wardage could involve direct service rather than just a monetary payment.

• Example 3: Collective Contribution for Upkeep

  In a fortified medieval town, every household was required to contribute a small yearly fee to a communal fund. This fund was specifically earmarked for the ongoing maintenance and repair of the town's defensive walls, gates, and watchtowers, which protected all residents.

  This collective contribution for the upkeep of the town's defenses is another form of wardage, as it was a payment made by tenants (the townspeople) for the security and protection provided by the lord's (or town's) defensive infrastructure.