A dwelling house together with its associated buildings and land.
A messuage was a dwelling house together with the buildings, gardens, yards and immediate land associated with it.
In manorial records, the term was used to describe a complete residential holding rather than simply the building itself. A messuage might include barns, stables, orchards, gardens and other features belonging to the property.
The word appears frequently in court rolls, leases and deeds when describing customary holdings and property transfers.
The exact extent of a messuage depended upon local custom and the individual property being described.
See also:
Appurtenances
Tenement
Holding
Tenant
