frankalmoin

frankalmoin (frangk-al-moyn). [Law French “free alms”] Hist. A spiritual tenure by which a religious institution held land, usu. with a general duty to pray for the donor. • This tenure differed from the tenure by divine service, which required specific church services, such as a certain number of masses or alms distributions. — Also spelled frankalmoign; frankalmoigne.

— Also termed almoign; almoin; free alms; libera eleemosyna. See spiritual tenure under TENURE.

“Frankalmoin, or free alms, was a survival of Anglo-Saxon law, and implied simply an indefinite promise to pray for the soul of the donor; but since it was deemed a tenure by which the land was held, the general doctrine of ‘services’ was applied. On the other hand, in the case of Divine Service, which was much less frequently met with, the tenant promised a definite number of prayers, a duty which might be enforced in the King’s courts.” A.K.R. Kiralfy, Potter’s Outlines of English Legal History 210 (5th ed. 1958).

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法律翻译Gianluca，毕业于英国一流的高级翻译学院，专注翻译各类与环境、土地及资源有关的法律文件。