Copyhold

Copyhold was a type of land tenure prevalent during the Middle Ages in England, where land was held by a manor. Manors, which were freehold properties, were bought and sold among major landowners. However, within these manors, smaller landholdings were categorised as copyholds.

Residents of manorial lands, known as copyholders, were tenants of the manor, with the Lord of the Manor holding the title deeds. The specific terms under which copyholders held their land varied from one manor to another. In exchange for certain privileges, tenants were obligated to provide services to the Lord of the Manor, as outlined in the manorial roll. A copy of this roll was provided to tenants, giving rise to the term “copyholder.”

Typically, copyholders were required to render services equivalent to around four days of work per year, which eventually evolved into a rent payment. The rights to use the land’s resources and its purposes were specified in the manorial roll.

Similar to freehold estates, copyhold land could be bought, sold, mortgaged, and inherited through a will. However, every transfer of land required approval from the Lord of the Manor, as the land had to be surrendered back to him before it could be passed on to the new tenant. Additionally, a death duty payment, known as a “heriot,” was often levied on new tenants inheriting from the previous tenant’s death.

Copyhold of inheritance involved a primary tenant landholder passing the holding to their heir through their will, whereas copyhold for lives involved three named individuals holding the land for their lifetimes. One person acted as the tenant and paid rent, while the other two formed a “queue” and would inherit the land upon the first person’s death, also nominating a replacement for the third position.

While copyhold of inheritance could usually be sold with the Lord’s approval, copyhold for lives generally did not allow for this, as it involved multiple individuals with entitlements to the land.

Through the 19th-century Copyhold Acts, copyhold tenures were gradually converted into either freeholds or 999-year leaseholds. The remaining copyholds were abolished with the Law of Property Act of 1925.

The term “demesne” referred to a parcel of land associated with a manor, which the owner or lord of the manor retained for personal use, sometimes leased to tenants under leasehold agreements, rather than granting it to freehold tenants.