ABSTRACT

The class of whom these pages treat were those who held their lands ' by serjeanty, ' that is, by the performance of some specified service, either at all times or in time of war. In that work which has superseded all that went before it-1 speak of the History if English Law-its learned authors tell us that in the days of which they write, "tenures are classified thus :- they are either free or not free : the free tenures are (1) frankalmoin, (z) military service, (3) serjeanty, (4) free socage ; in this order we will speak of them. " 1 It is needful to insist on the position here assigned to serjeanty, because the misconception on the subject is widespread and of old standing. 2 It was a persistent delusion that tenure of grand serjeanty was so noble as to rank above knight-service, and to include, even, all peerage dignities. 3

This singular error is at least as old as ' Lyttelton,'

whose Tenures is doubtless responsible for its persistence to our own time.