frankpledge

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See also: frank-pledge

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Anglo-Latin franciplegium, a Latinization of Anglo-Norman frauncplege ("free pledge"), a mistranslation of Old English friðborh ("pledge of peace"), which had the corrupted form friborh, which led to the Modern English term friborg, as if it were *freoborh ("free pledge"). See also friborg, which refers to the predecessor of frankpledge.

Noun

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frankpledge (plural frankpledges)

  1. (law, historical) A form of collective suretyship and punishment under English law among the members of a tithing.
  2. Any group so similarly answerable for the conduct of all its members and liable for collective punishment.
    • 1855, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume III, page 13:
      The servants of the Crown were not, as now, bound in frankpledge for each other.
  3. (law, historical) A decener: a member of a tithing bound in frankpledge.
    • 1765, William Blackstone, Commentary on the Laws of England, volume I, page 114:
      Entire vills sir Henry Spelman conjectures to have consisted of ten freemen, or frank-pledges.
  4. (law, historical, uncommon) The tithing itself.

Derived terms

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