Legal Definitions - pure villeinage

Definition: Pure villeinage is a type of feudal tenure where a tenant holds property through servitude to a feudal lord. The tenant is obliged to render base services to the lord, but the services are not certain. The tenant must do whatever they are commanded whenever the command comes.

Examples: A tenant in pure villeinage does not know in the evening what they will have to do in the morning. The lord's will counts for much, and the tenant cannot predict what work they will be doing. For example, they may be threshing, ditching, or carrying. The uncertainty of the amount or kind of agricultural services makes the tenure unfree.

Explanation: Pure villeinage is a type of unfree tenure where the tenant is at the mercy of the lord's commands. The tenant's services are not fixed, and they must do whatever they are told whenever they are told. This lack of certainty and control over their work makes the tenure unfree. The examples illustrate how the uncertainty of the tenant's work and the lord's will make pure villeinage a servile type of tenure.