'Knights fees' ... what were they ?

[Lydart]

Browsing on Google old books ... I found this:-

"The lands amounted to thirty-two knights fees ..."


There is an area of Monmouth called Kings Fee ... a similar explanation, maybe ?

[stanmapstone]

A Knight's Fee, in land measurement, was a variable measure which depended on the quality of the soil. It was considered to be the amount of land which could support a knight and his family for a year, and could be between 4 and 8 hides.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

A Knight's Fee, as an area of administration, was the area held by a knight for which he was obliged to perform military service, or Knight Service, to his immediate overlord.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

King's Fee just means that the estate belonged to the King.
In Feudal Law, Fee means an estate in land.
Stan

[Lydart]

Thanks for that Stan.

could be between 4 and 8 hides.

... in English please ??

[stanmapstone]

HIDE (Lat. ‘hida, OE higid, hid or hiwisc, members of a household), is a measure of land.  In its earliest form the hide was the typical holding of the typical family. Gradually, this typical holding came to be regarded as containing 120 “acres “ (not 120 acres of 4840 sq. yds. each, but 120 times the amount of land which a plough team of eight oxen could plough in a single day).
The size was variable, depending on the soil quality. A hide of good arable land was smaller than a hide of poor quality, as it was primarily the amount considered adequate for the support of one family and dependants.
Stan

[Lydart]

So .... a knights fee was lets say about 5 hides; times that by what the oxen could plough; times that by my original question re 32 knights fees ...

... thats a BIG estate ! 

Goodness !!

[stanmapstone]

I reckon it was about 19,200 acres 

Stan

[Lydart]

To think I was just browsing about a very dubiously slightly possible family link ! 

Thanks anyway Stan; added a bit more to my knowledge today !