Socage () was one of the feudal duties and land tenure forms in the

English feudal system Feudalism as practiced in the Kingdoms of England during the medieval period was a state of human society that organized political and military leadership and force around a stratified formal structure based on land tenure. As a military defense a ...

. It eventually evolved into the freehold tenure called "free and common socage", which did not involve feudal duties. Farmers held land in exchange for clearly defined, fixed payments made at specified intervals to feudal lords. In turn, the lord was obligated to provide certain services, such as protection, to the farmer and other duties to the Crown. Payments usually took the form of cash, but occasionally could be made with goods. Socage contrasted with other forms of tenure, including

serjeanty Under feudalism in France and England during the Middle Ages, tenure by serjeanty () was a form of tenure in return for a specified duty other than standard knight-service. Etymology The word comes from the French noun , itself from the Latin , ...

, frankalmoin and knight-service. The English statute '' Quia Emptores'' of

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

(1290) established that socage tenure which passed from one generation or nominee to the next would be subject to

inquisitions post mortem An Inquisition post mortem (abbreviated to Inq.p.m. or i.p.m., and formerly known as an escheat) (Latin, meaning "(inquisition) after death") is an English medieval or early modern record of the death, estate and heir of one of the king's tenants-in ...

, which would usually involve a feudal relief tax. This contrasts with the treatment of leases, which could be lifelong or readily subject to

forfeiture Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from '' Wonder What's Next'' * '' Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers ...

and rent increase. As feudalism declined, the prevalence of socage tenure increased until it became the normal form of tenure in the Kingdom of England. In 1660, the Statute of Tenures ended the practice of estates requiring owners to provide military or religious service, and most freehold tenures and other were converted into "free and common socage". The holder of a ''soc'' or socage tenure was referred to as a ''socager'' (Anglo-Norman) or S''ocman'' (Anglo-Saxon, also spelt ''sochman'', from the legal concept of a soke, from the verb 'to seek'). In German-speaking Europe, the broad equivalent was a '' Dienstmann''. The etymology of ''socage'' according to William Blackstone is the old Latin word for a plough.

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*{{Cite EB1911 , last=Vinogradoff , first=Paul , authorlink=Paul Vinogradoff , wstitle=Socage , short=x Soccage in Lower Canada
An act to explain and amend the laws relating to lands holden in free and common soccage in the province of Lower Canada
Feudal duties Legal history of England Medieval English law Land tenure Feudalism

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