What does the wording on the will mean?

[nannyj]

Hi
I've found quite a few wills on SEAX for my Cooper and Nash ancestors around the Danbury/ Woodham Ferrers area.
Does anyone know what the word messuages means?

E.g. Freehold messuages, lands and premises, tenements and hereditaments.

Some are freehold and some copyhold. I'm assuming that freehold means they owned it and copyhold rented on a longer lease?

Thanks!

[nannyj]

Good old wiki. I should have looked there first ...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messuage

[keldon]

This will help as well.
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/researchguidance/manorial/glossary.aspx

[nannyj]

Thanks. That will be useful.

[jbml]

Messuages are buildings - specifically, a dwellinghouse, and any other lesser buildings (such as stables, outhouses etc.) which are appurtenant to it.

Freehold is land which is held directly from the Crown, and is essentially "ownership" (if you own a house or a piece of land nowadays, it will be freehold).

Copyhold is land which is held from the Lord of the Manor, according to the customs of the manor, and the title deeds (properly called "muniments") will consist of a copy of the Manorial Court Roll recording your admission.

Copyhold land is owned not rented - but there will be certain minor obligations to the Lord of the Manor attaching to that ownership.

[nannyj]

Thanks x