Legal Definitions - mesne lord

Definition: A feudal lord who held land from a superior lord and stood between a tenant and the chief lord.

In simpler terms, a mesne lord was a lord who owned land that was rented out to tenants, but they themselves were not the highest-ranking lord in the area.

Example: In medieval times, a mesne lord might have owned a large estate and rented out portions of it to farmers. However, the mesne lord themselves would have owed allegiance and paid taxes to a higher-ranking lord, such as a baron or duke.

This example illustrates how a mesne lord was a middleman between the tenant farmers and the highest-ranking lords in the feudal system.