heriot
/ˈhɛrɪət
/noun historical
A tribute paid to a lord out of the belongings of a tenant who died, often consisting of a live animal or, originally, military equipment that he borrowed.On top of this, the dutiful John Ronewyk carefully recorded a list of the ‘fines terrae’ owed by those replacing dead tenants, and the heriots (the best beast in the herd) of those heirs who took over from their dead fathers....
- The serf also paid a variety of dues to the lord: the annual capitation or head tax (literally, a tax on existence), the taille (a tax on the serf's property), and the heriot (an inheritance tax).
- And the heriot of the man who falls before his lord during a campaign, whether within the country or abroad, shall be remitted, and the heirs shall succeed to his land and his property and make a very just division of the same.
Origin
Old English heregeatwa, from here 'army' + geatwa 'trappings'.