Legal Definitions - watch and ward

The term watch and ward refers to a historical legal obligation, primarily during feudal times, where certain individuals or tenants were required to maintain continuous security and vigilance over a specific area or property. This duty encompassed keeping guard both during the day (ward) and throughout the night (watch). It was a form of service owed to a lord, often in exchange for land or protection.

• Imagine a medieval manor house and its surrounding village. A tenant farmer, in exchange for their land, might have been assigned the duty of watch and ward for a week each month. During their assigned period, they would be responsible for patrolling the village perimeter and the manor grounds during daylight hours (ward) to look for strangers, potential threats, or livestock rustlers. At night (watch), they would stand guard at the main gate or a designated lookout point, alerting the lord's household to any unusual sounds or approaching figures, ensuring the safety of everyone within the manor walls.

• Consider a vital bridge crossing a river, crucial for trade and military movement, located on a lord's land. A local miller, whose mill was near the bridge, might have been obligated to perform watch and ward duties at this strategic point. By day (ward), the miller or their designated family member would observe all who passed, reporting any suspicious activity or large troop movements to the lord's bailiff. By night (watch), they would ensure the bridge was secure, perhaps even raising a barrier, and remain vigilant for any attempts to cross covertly or damage the structure under the cover of darkness.

• In a coastal feudal territory, a fisherman living in a village overlooking a bay might have held his tenancy under the condition of watch and ward against maritime threats. During the day (ward), he would be expected to scan the horizon for approaching ships, particularly those that were not known or seemed hostile, and report their presence. At night (watch), he would maintain a lookout for any boats attempting to land secretly on the shore, or for signals from potential invaders, ensuring the lord's lands were protected from seaborne incursions.