socman

"The Socman of Minstead hath earned an evil name over the country side," he said.

I, the Socman, am shorn of my lands that you may snivel Latin and eat bread for which you never did hand's turn.

In the status of the socman, developed from the law of Saxon free-men, there was usually nothing of the kind.

Further, we see that the socman's tenure is distinguished from free tenure, socmen from freeholders.

It is chiefly important because it discloses a traditional element in the formation of the socman's tenure.