fee-farm Law.
(ˈfiːfɑːm)
Also Sc. feu-farm.
[a. AF. fee-ferme, OF. feuferme, fiofferme; Anglo-Lat. (12th c.) had feudofirma, feudifirma, and the phrase firmam in feudo tenere; in continental use occur feudum firmum, feudalis firma, firma feudata; see fee n.2 and farm n.2]
1. That kind of tenure by which land is held in fee-simple subject to a perpetual fixed rent, without any other services; the estate of the tenant in land so held; rarely, the land itself.
It is a debated question whether a fee-farm merely implies a perpetual rent of any kind, or whether it should be confined to a perpetual rent-service, or to a perpetual rent-charge equivalent to at least a fourth of the value of the land.
| [1114 Charter in Chr. Mon. Abingdon (Rolls) II. 110 Quoddam pratum..in firma perpetuo habendum pro xx solidis reddendis unoquoque. 1292 Britton i. i. §6 Si la fraunchise ne soit graunté en fee ferme..par nous. Ibid. iii. ii. §8 Fee fermes sount terres tenuz en fee a rendre pur eux par an la verreye value, ou plus ou meyn.] c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. x, In grete lordshippes, maneres, ffee ffermys, and such other demaynes. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 438 He grauntyd to the cytezyns the fee ferme of London for .ccc. li. 1555 Eden Decades 249 Such as had the same in fee ferme. 1627 Speed England xxviii. §7 Hurstingston..was the Fee-farme of Ramsey Abbey. 1643 in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793) 304 The king is forced to set many of his lands to fee-farm. 1650 Weldon Crt. Jas. I, 60 Hee [Salisbury] would make them buy Books of Fee-farmes. 1652 Evelyn Mem. (1857) I. 289 What was in lease from the Crown..he would secure to us in fee-farm. |
| fig. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iii. ii. 53 How now, a kisse in fee-farme? 1678 Marvell Growth Popery Wks. 1875 IV. 326 Were not all the votes as it were in fee-farm, of those that were intrusted with the sale? |
2. The rent paid for an estate so held.
| 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles iv. 4 Alle his ffynys ffor ffautis ne his ffee ffermes. c 1520 in Fiddes Wolsey ii. (1726) 26 Towchyng the mynyshyng of our Fee farme enenst the lorde of Ruteland. 1598 J. Manwood Lawes Forest xxi. §4 (1615) 201 Paying unto the King a certain fee ferme or rent for y⊇ same. 1682 Enq. Elect. Sheriffs 32 King John..granted..to the Citizens..the Sheriffwick of London and Middlesex..by the fee-farm of 300l. per Annum. |
3. attrib. esp. in
fee-farm-rent.
| 1638 Sir R. Cotton Abstr. Rec. Tower 12 Their abilities will settle the Fee-farme rent. 1710 Lond. Gaz. No. 4702/3 To be sold a Fee-Farm-Rent of 20l. per Annum. 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. (1864) V. ix. vi. 287 The fee farm payment to Rome. 1881 Act 44–5 Vict. c. 49 §34 The land commission shall..dispose of all fee farm rents for the time being vested in them. 1882 Earl of Belmore in 19th Cent. July 126 By way of fines and fee-farm grants. |
Hence
fee-farming vbl. n., the action or practice of putting out to fee-farm.
| 1549 Latimer 6th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 168 He hath inuented fee fermyng of benefices. |