Questions on Land Tenure and Taxation

[Delvestius]

Right now I'm trying to get a better understanding of how property was managed throughout the pre-Industrial world. Here is a list I'm working on and was wondering if anyone knew of other forms of ownership and tribute.

- Feudalism

• Open Land: Lands owned by liege lord assigned to families, like in Europe
• Equal Land: Lands owned by central government assigned to families, like in China
• Collective Land: Peasants harvest collectively on chief's land, like in the Aztec Empire

- Manorialism

• Bondsmenism: Farmowners employ workers or bonded servants
• Industrial Slavery: Roman Slavery, U.S. Slavery

- Smallholding: Small farms owned by families of free peasants

- Collectivism: Land held in collective ownership of a tribe or clan

And then there are the various types of land contracts used in any given system:
- Allodial Ownership: Full complete ownership with no taxes
- Fee Simple: Inheritable deed with tax attached
- Fee Tail: The deed passes to whomever stated on the lease
- Leasehold: Tenant by renting
- Life Lease: Tenant for life but goes back to the deed holder upon death
- Burgage: Rent in a city

Any recommendations, additions and discussions are welcomed

 

[Thoresby]

- Fee Tail: The deed passes to whomever stated on the lease

Well that's not quite right. Fee Tail is where land is held by the terms set by the original holder with his successors only having a life tenure and being unable to to sell or assign it. For example the 1st Earl of Barsetshire assigns Manor X in Fee Tail to his Heirs Male. Three generations down the line the 4th Earl who has no son can't leave Manor X on his death to his daughter but it instead goes to his 2nd cousin the soon to be 5th Earl. Obviously very common among the British Aristocracy post 1500.

 

[Escape Zeppelin]

Then you also have things like usage rights. The land belongs to X person but group Y has the the legal right to graze livestock/collect lumber/hunt/etc on the land. I believe that these sorts of land use rights are often the result of traditional usages that eventually became coded into law. Under English law things like that are occasionally protected under time immemorial.

 

[Delvestius]

Well that's not quite right. Fee Tail is where land is held by the terms set by the original holder with his successors only having a life tenure and being unable to to sell or assign it. For example the 1st Earl of Barsetshire assigns Manor X in Fee Tail to his Heirs Male. Three generations down the line the 4th Earl who has no son can't leave Manor X on his death to his daughter but it instead goes to his 2nd cousin the soon to be 5th Earl. Obviously very common among the British Aristocracy post 1500.

So I life lease is considered to be Tenure by Fee Tail?

Then you also have things like usage rights. The land belongs to X person but group Y has the the legal right to graze livestock/collect lumber/hunt/etc on the land. I believe that these sorts of land use rights are often the result of traditional usages that eventually became coded into law. Under English law things like that are occasionally protected under time immemorial.

An important one indeed.