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What was a lord?

A lord (also called a seignior) was a landowner or clergyman (minister of a church) who accumulated wealth through a political and economic system called feudalism that was practiced during the Middle Ages (A.D. c. 450–c. 1500). By about the ninth century, much of Western Europe was divided into large self-sufficient estates called manors that were held by lords. A lord would lease the land on his manor to serfs (peasants) who would farm it; in return, the serfs would pay taxes to the lord in the form of services (work), or in kind (crops or goods). The lord presided over the manor and all its inhabitants, serving as an administrator, tax collector, and legal mediator (judge).

Further Information: Biel, Timothy. The Age of Feudalism. San Diego: Lucent, 1994; "Feudalism." Catholic Encyclopedia. [Online] Available

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   11. What is feudalism?
   12. What was a lord?
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