120 EPONYMOUS FAMILIES OF DORSET. 



But the term " Baron," after a vigorous and influential exist- 

 ence, has lost force with lapse of years, and a short biography of 

 this historic title may not be out of place ! 



BARONIES BY TENURE. 



The designation "Baron" or "Man" (the Norman equivalent 

 of "Vir") in its widest sense was applicable to every lord of a 

 manor holding directly from the King, as it was a policy of neces- 

 sity for the King to retain in touch with himself all those " King's 

 Men " who, in their own persons, or that of their ancestors, had 

 helped to found the Feudal Norman Monarchy in this country. 



All dignities were, after the Conquest, attached to certain 

 lands, which were held of the King upon condition of performing 

 certain services ; each of these estates was called a " Feudum 

 Nobile," and constituted the holder a person of consideration, 

 distinguishing him from the common herd of contemptible 

 Saxon folk, and making him, in the technical sense, a " Man." 



This use of the word baron has been perpetuated in heraldry 

 in relation to the conjoined arms of husband and wife, in which 

 connection the husband's portion of the shield is called the 

 Baron's, the sinister side being called the Femme's. 



These Barons were, however, of two classes those who held 

 by Knight's service and those who held by Grand Sergeantry, 

 the Knight's service obliging the holder to attend the King in 

 war, while Grand Sergeantry, being (says Littleton) a greater 

 and more worthy service, carried with it the duty of attending 

 the King not only in war, but in his Court at the three great 

 festivals of the year and at other times when summoned. 



These last were the Greater Barons, and, as such, exercised in 

 their "Courts Baron" full jurisdiction in both civil and criminal 

 causes, while the Lesser Barons had only jurisdiction over their 

 own vassals.* 



In causes, therefore, of first importance it behoved the Minor 

 Baron to attend the Court of his superior, and to act as his 



* Nicholas' Historic Peerage. 



