ECHO OF FEUDAL SYSTEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20554, 3 May 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

ECHO OF FEUDAL SYSTEM

HOW OLD CUSTOMS LINGER, THE LORDS OF THE MANOR* An echo of feudal times conies /ronl \ Kent, where on certain estates, vrhen » | tenant dies or sells "his land, the" lord of 1 the manor has a right to claim his lost beast. In a recent case, the best beast waJ !| a bullock worth between £4O and £5& If he wishes, a tenant can. pay a percent- | age on (he value of the land to obtain the » privilego of buying his beast back, which in this case lie did for £39. 1 In another case the best beast was » racehorse worth £I.OOO. The land thai | was sold was worth only £IBO, and th» tenant resented the seizure of. his horse. An agreement was reached whereby he | paid the lord of the manor ton per cent, of tho value of the land and was allowed ;-j to buy the racehorse back. "• ~ These customs are taken for £>' a 5 ] te 4. by tho participants, and are maintained and, if necessary, upheld by lawo^ 11 ® jjjj dues owing to the "lords and masters are not mentioned in. the title deeds o .'jv the property, but the occupiers pay for if they refuso a writ, is issued- | n ';J| steward for tho: estates declares ho |$ " never lost a case yet." • • Another relic of feudal- times, when ® a; vassal, if ho did not go to war lot » J| lord, had to obtain a substitute or P a y. sum of money, was reported rccen v from Dumfriesshire, where the P u ;! of Norfolk is exercising her 'right ||| Baroness 1 ferries to seek tribute r :| feuars or landowners on her ancestral tates. About £20,000 is at stake, snmj from individual landowners varying _ £2O to £l5O. Feu in Scotland is the common ni • land tenure, and in a feu holding tni ; ant, in addition to paying rent, « 01 ' * » to pay • " casualties " to tho super the land on tho happening of , c , || events. The last, (iino " causaltl<»-. demanded in Dumfries was in Jw ■ Jl