Serjeanty

Term (analogous with "thegnage) used for the tenure held by a "sergeant in return for which he served his lord by carrying his banner, making bows and arrows, and other such tasks. Other services could be as various as growing herbs, tending hounds when hurt, providing arrows, nursing sick falcons, providing fuel. A crucial aspect of a serjeanty was that neither knight service, nor "scutage were owed. "Magna Carta in 1215 stated that a serjeanty was both inalienable and impartible. "Bracton said the offices of serjeanties were 'infinite'. However, he did specify several: 'holding the pleas of their lords, or carrying letters within a certain precinct, or feeding greyhounds or harriers, or mewing hawks, or finding bows and arrows, or carrying them'. A serjeanty was also granted, for example, for taking royal money to the treasury at Winchester, before the 12c, after which time the treasury had moved to Westminster. The term was broad enough to cover also the tenure given by a great lord to various domestic servants. Cooks and porters, for instance, might be given some land, as might servants who helped during the hunting season. Such a tenure was exempt from such feudal dues as "wardship and "relief. These services were known as being "intrinsec. One of the grandest of serjeanties was that of the Dymokes of Scrivelsby, who were royal champions. [< Lat. servients = a servant] -

Cf. Radman