rent of assize
Quick Summary
"Rent of assize" refers to a fixed rent paid by freeholders or ancient copyholders of an English manor. This term is connected to the broader concept of manorialism, the political, economic, and social system in medieval Europe where peasants were dependent on their lord and land.12
The manor was a self-sufficient estate controlled by a lord who had rights over the land and its peasants, often through serfdom. In western Europe, by the 13th century, villeins (serfs) paid a small fixed rent, known as rent of assize, along with other dues, for their holdings. This system began to decline with the revival of commerce and the reintroduction of a money economy in Europe.2
The term "assize" itself, in a legal context, originally signified a session of a court of justice, often involving trial by jury. In England, assizes were periodic sessions of the High Court of Justice that dealt with serious crimes.3
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