Medieval History Term of the Week: Mainmorte
Mainmorte (or mortmain)
[mawrt-meyn]
Etymology: Middle English morte-mayne, from Anglo-French mortmain, from morte (feminine of mort dead) + main hand, from Latin manus
1) The lord’s right to a share of his men’s personal estate after death. (Duby, Georges. Rural Economy and Country Life in the Medieval West, 555)
2) The condition of lands or tenements held without right of alienation, as by an ecclesiastical corporation; inalienable ownership. (dictionary.com)
3) The perpetual holding of land, esp. by a corporation or charitable trust. (dictionary.com)
The Statue of Mortmain, 1279 - Medieval Sourcebook
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval Glossary, Medieval History on November 27th, 2009
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