Amesne lord (/miːn/[1]) was alord in thefeudal system who hadvassals who held land from him, but who was himself the vassal of a higher lord. Owing toQuia Emptores, the concept of a mesne lordship technically still exists today: the partitioning of the lord of the manor's estate among co-heirs creating the mesne lordships.[2][3][4]
In an Englishcourt of law in 1863 it was claimed that "the lord of the mesne manor pays a rent to a superior lord and that rent empowers him to receive chief rents from certain farms".[5]
A mesne lord did not hold land directly of theking, that is to say he was not atenant-in-chief. Hissubinfeudated estate was called a "mesne estate" orAfterlehen in theHoly Roman Empire. Traditionally, he is alord of the manor who holds land from a superior lord and who usually lets some of the land to a tenant. He was thus an intermediate or "middle" tenant, which status is reflected in theOld French wordmesne, in the modernFrench languagemoyen.[6][7]
The mesne lordship ofPotter Newton was probably held in 1166 by Herbert de Arches. Mesne lords continued to exist after the abolition of any furthersubinfeudation by the statute ofQuia Emptores (1290). However, with time and the loss of records (except in the case of formercopyhold land), it came to be assumed that most land was held directly of theCrown.[8][9][10]
The title of a mesne lord remained a legal entity throughout the 19th century; in 1815,Encyclopaedia Londinensis records that a "Lord mesne is the owner of a manor and by virtue thereof hath tenants holding of him in fee, and by copy of court roll; and yet holds himself of a superior lord calledLord Paramount".[11][12] However,escheat in want of heirs to mesne lords was abolished by theAdministration of Estates Act 1925.[13]
The Normans...created sub or mesne manors, corresponding to their new partition of the estates.
...land was held of tenants-in-chiefs and mesne lords...Also significant was the partition of estates among co-heirs...
Mesne lord - A lord in the middle of the feudal hierarchy, i.e. a lord of a manor who held land from a superior lord and who let the land to a tenant.
Potter Newton. Map 19 shows the whole of Gipton as forming part of the manor of Kippax, but this may be an ... Potter Newton The mesne lordship of Potter Newton was probably held in 1166 by Herbert de Arches, who held two knights' fees....
Chapter - LORD:Lord is also a title......Lord mesne is the owner of a manor and by virtue thereof hath tenants holding of him in fee, and by copy of court roll; and yet holds himself of a superior lord called Lord Paramount.
