The Ancient Regime eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 652 pages of information about The Ancient Regime.

The Ancient Regime eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 652 pages of information about The Ancient Regime.

23.  Right of terrage or champart:  the right of collecting, after the tithes, a portion of the produce of the ground.  “In Bourbonnais, the terrage is collected in various ways, on the third sheaf, on the fifth, sixth, seventh, and commonly one-quarter; at Blet it is the twelfth.”  The seignior of Blet collects terrage only on a certain number of the farms of his seigniory; “in relation to Brosses, it appears that all domains possessed by copyholders are subject to the right.”  These rights of terrage are comprised in the leases of the farms of Blet and of Brosses.

24.  Cens, surcens and rentes due on real property of different kinds, houses, fields, meadows, etc., situated in the territory of the seigniory.  In the seigniory of Blet, 810 arpents, divided into 511 portions, in the hands of 120 copyholders, are in this condition, and their cens annually consists of 137 francs in money, sixty-seven bushels of wheat, three of barley, 159 of oats, sixteen hens, 130 chickens, six cocks and capons; the total valued at 575 francs.  On the Brosses estate, eighty-five arpents, divided into 112 parcels, in the hands of twenty copyholders, are in this condition, and their total cens is fourteen francs money, seventeen bushels of wheat, thirty-two of barley, twenty-six hens, three chickens and one capon; the whole valued at 126 francs.

25.  Rights over the commons (124 arpents in Blet and 164 arpents in Brosses).

The vassals have on these only the right of use.  “Almost the whole of the land, on which they exercise this right of pasturage, belongs to the seigniors, save this right with which they are burdened; it is granted only to a few individuals.”

26.  Rights over the fiefs mouvants of the barony of Blet.  Some are situated in Bourbonnais, nineteen being in this condition.  In Bourbonnais, the fiefs, even when owned by plebeians, simply owe la bouche et les mains to the seignior at each mutation.  Formerly the seignior of Blet enforced, in this case, the right of redemption which has been allowed to fall into desuetude.  Others are situated in Berry where the right of redemption is exercised.  One fief in Berry, that of Cormesse held by the archbishop of Bourges, comprising eighty-five arpents, besides a portion of the tithes, and producing 2,100 livres per annum, admitting a mutation every twenty years, annually brings to the seignior of Blet 105 livres.

Besides the charges indicated there are the following: 

1.  To the curate of Blet, his fixed salary.  According to royal enactment in 1686, this should be 300 livres.  According to arrangement in 1692, the curate, desirous of assuring himself of this fixed salary, yielded to the seignior all the dimes, novales, etc.  The edict of 1768 having fixed the curate’s salary at 500 livres, the curate claimed this sum through writs.  The canons of Dun-le-Roi and the prior of Chaumont, possessing tithes on the territory of Blet, were obliged to pay a portion of it.  At present it is at the charge of the seignior of Blet.

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The Ancient Regime from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.