A holding of land or property occupied by a tenant.
A tenement was a holding of land or property held by a tenant.
In manorial records, the term could refer to a house, agricultural holding, parcel of land or a combination of these. A tenement was defined by the rights and obligations attached to it rather than simply by physical boundaries.
Tenements were often recorded in court rolls when they were transferred, inherited or surrendered. Their descriptions can provide valuable information about medieval and early modern patterns of settlement and landholding.
The word derives from Old French and means something held or possessed.
See also:
Messuage
Tenant
Tenure
Admission
Surrender
