Frankpledge — was an English institution in which units (often referred to as a tithing) of ten households were bound together and held responsible for one another s conduct. All men over 12 years of age were joined in groups of approximately ten households.… … Wikipedia
Frankpledge — Frank pledge , n. [Frank free + pledge.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A pledge or surety for the good behavior of freemen, each freeman who was a member of an ancient decennary, tithing, or friborg, in England, being a pledge for the good conduct of the… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
frankpledge — [fraŋk′plej΄] n. [ME frank plege < Anglo Fr fraunc plege (see FRANK1 & PLEDGE): prob. orig. a mistransl. of OE frith borh, lit., peace pledge] 1. the system in old English law which made each man in a tithing responsible for the actions of… … English World dictionary
frankpledge — /frangk plej /, n. Old Eng. Law. 1. a system of dividing a community into tithings or groups of ten men, each member of which was responsible for the conduct of the other members of his group and for the assurance that a member charged with a… … Universalium
frankpledge — Friborg Fri borg, Friborgh Fri borgh, n. [AS. fri[eth]borh, lit., peace pledge; fri[eth] peace + borh, borg, pledge, akin to E. borrow. The first part of the word was confused with free, the last part, with borough.] (Old Eng. Law) The pledge and … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Frankpledge — Legal condition under which every male member of a tithing (district) over the age of twelve was responsible for the good conduct of all other members of the tithing. Failure to control tithing members could lead to amercement of the entire… … Medieval glossary
frankpledge — noun Etymology: Middle English frankeplegge, from Anglo French francplege (probably translation of Middle English friborg peace pledge), from franc free + plege pledge Date: 15th century an Anglo Saxon system under which each adult male member of … New Collegiate Dictionary
frankpledge — noun a) A legal system, based on tithings, in Anglo Saxon England, in which members were held responsible for each others conduct b) A member of such a tithing … Wiktionary
frankpledge — frank•pledge [[t]ˈfræŋkˌplɛdʒ[/t]] n. Old Eng. Law. 1) law a system of dividing a community into tithings, with each member being responsible for the conduct of others in the group 2) law a member of a tithing • Etymology: 1250–1300; ME fra(u)… … From formal English to slang
View of Frankpledge — 1) Annual (or biannual) meeting at which tithingmen named all those guilty of infractions against the local peace. (Bennett, Judith M. Women in the Medieval English Countryside, 235) 2) Courts held, generally twice a year, either by the sheriff… … Medieval glossary
