Both the sovereignty of the Chief and the ownership of land by the Family or Tribe were in most of Western Europe passed through the crucible of feudalism ; but the first re-appeared in some well-marked characteristics of military or Knightly tenures, and the last in the principle rules of non-noble holdings, and among them of Socage, the distinctive tenure of the free farmer." Its essential character was " its liability to rents and services due, not to the State, but to the grantor, who in most cases was the lord of the manor, holding under a charter [meaning a grant or patent) given or confirmed by the crown." ® The word socage is generally believed to have been derived from " soca " a plough.
It was " originally applied only to husbandmen who owed fixed services for husbandry. Where these rustic services had not been commuted tbramoncy rent the tenure was called ' villein socage," as distingui-.hed from ' free and common socage.' * In Knightservice tenure, and iu the spiritual tenure of Francalmoigne or Free Alms, that is freedom from all earthly services [on which churches, abbeys, and cathedrals, in England held and still hold so many of their lands], and in all the military tenures the services were uncertain : from all other free tenants of lands a fixed amount of service, or rent, was due, and their tenures were included in the general name of socage '
It was a free tenure, the land a freehold, and the