Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The area of land held by a tenant in villeinage in early English manors, consisting usually of an aggregate of some 30 strips in the open fields with a messuage in the village. In some counties it was 15 acres; in others 20 or 24, and even 40 acres. See
holding , 3 . Alsoyard of land .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (O. Eng. Law), obsolete A measure of land of uncertain quantity, varying from fifteen to forty acres; a virgate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun English history A measure of area of
land in Medieval England, from 15 to 40acres but varying in size depending on the region.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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And now all he, Cadwaladr, had to do was go to the meeting, behave himself seemly before other eyes, as he knew well how to do with grace, and in private surrender not one whit of his demands, and he would regain all, every yardland that had been taken from him, every man of his former following.
His Disposition 2010
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And Aelfric in his turn was a younger son, and foolishly accepted service in the manor household when his elder had family enough to run his yardland without him.
Monk's Hood Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1992
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Aelfric's father was born free as you or I, but younger son in a holding that was none too large even for one, and rather than have it split, when his father died, he left it whole for his brother, and took a villein yardland that had fallen without heirs, on my husband's manor.
Monk's Hood Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1992
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"He has a half yardland by Preston, and works with the sheep at the manor of Upton."
The Holy Thief Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1992
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The tiny hamlet of Preston was barely a mile out of his way, but if this Aldhelm worked with the sheep at Upton, at this hour he might be there, and not in his own cot on his own half-yardland of earth.
The Holy Thief Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1992
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And true enough, for my father's younger brother, being landless, took the yardland gladly when it fell vacant, and agreed to do service for it, but for all that he was born free, like all my kin.
The Raven In The Foregate Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1986
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A free man, this Edric was said to be, farming a yardland as a rent-paying tenant of his lord, a dwindling phenomenon in a country where a tiller of the soil was increasingly tied to it by customary services.
An Excellent Mystery Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1985
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A free man, this Edric was said to be, farming a yardland as a rent-paying tenant of his lord, a dwindling phenomenon in a country where a tiller of the soil was increasingly tied to it by customary services.
An Excellent Mystery Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1985
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'I grew up on a well-farmed yardland,' he said, noting Meriet's wide eye.
The Devil's Novice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1983
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'I grew up on a well-farmed yardland,' he said, noting Meriet's wide eye.
The Devil's Novice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1983
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