Now arch. and Hist. Forms: α. 4 vauasour(e, 4, 7– vavasour (4 -oure), 5 favasour, Sc. wawasour, vauesowre, 7 vavesour; 5 vavyssoure, vauyssour, 7 vauessour, vauassour, 9 vavassour. β. 5 vauaser, 7, 9 vavasor, vavassor. γ. 6–7 valuasor, 6–8 -vasor, 7–8 valvasour, 9 valvassor. [a. OF. vavas(s)our, vavas(s)or, vavasseur (so mod.F.), or med.L. vavassor, valvassor, also vasvassor, app. f. vassi vassorum ‘vassals of vassals.’ Cf. OProv. va(l)vasor, It. varvassore, -oro, barbassore, -oro.] A feudal tenant ranking immediately below a baron.
α. 13[?]. K. Alis., 3300 (Laud MS.). Noot ich no tale of his squyers, Ne of vavasours, ne of Bachilers.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 10996. He gaf giftes of honurs, & landes & rentes, to vauasours.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 430. Litel prowesse for me it were wiþ a vauasour for to melle.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Bk. Knthood., iii. (S.T.S.), 21. All kingis suld have under thame dukkis and princis, Erllis and vicountes, and vauvassouris and barouns.
a. 1500. Lancelot, 1729. Syne to thi tennandis & to thi wawasouris, If [= give] essy haknays, palfrais, and cursouris.
1614. Selden, Titles Honour, II. v. § 4. Now for the nature of a vavasour;… it is plain that he was ever beneath a baron.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. xxxi. (1739), 47. Others served on horseback, and were called Rad-Knights,… and these I take to be the Vavasours, noted in the Conqueror’s Laws.
1660. R. Sheringham, King’s Supremacy Asserted (1682), v. 32. There are other great men under the King which are called Barons, and other which are called Vavasours, men of great dignity.
1756. Connoisseur, No. 102, ¶ 1. Upon my accession … to my elder brother’s estate and title of a Baronet I received a visit from Rouge Dragon … to congratulate me upon my new rank of a Vavasour.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. 65. William the conqueror … directing … that a certain quantity … should be paid by the earls, barons, and vavasours respectively.
1831. Scott, Cast. Dang., vii. One or two Scottish retainers or vavasours … sat at the bottom of the table.
1848. Lytton, Harold, III. ii. The … ignominious flight of the counts and vavasours of great William the Duke.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., II. xv. 207. It was ordered that the sheriff should be a vavasour of the County.
β. c. 1386. Chaucer, Prologue, 360. A schirreue hadde he ben and a counter, Was nowher such a worthi vauaser.
1605. Camden, Rem., Surnames (1623), 110. Baron, Knight,… Vavasor, Squire, Castellan.
1642. Bird, Mag. Honour, 8. There be others which are called Vavasors,… men of great dignity.
1656. Harrington, Oceana, 35. The Middle-Thane was feudall, but not honorary; he was also call’d a Vavasor.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages (1872), I. 194. The vassals of this high nobility, who … were usually termed Vavassors.
1875. K. E. Digby, Real Prop. (1876), 41, note. Similar provisions follow as to the relief to be paid by barons, vavassors, and villeins.
γ. 1577. Harrison, England, II. v. (1877), I. 113. As for the valvasors, it was a denomination applied unto all degrees of honor under the first three.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 696. The Kings Valvasors in times past they were.
1614. Selden, Titles Hon., 289. For a Corollarie to this Discourse of Barons, we add … the ancient title of Vauassours or Valuasors.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. iv. (1710), 186. Baronets … are constituted in the Room of the Ancient Valvasours, between the Barons of England, and the Orders of Knights.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 403. The first name of dignity, next beneath a peer, was antiently that of vidames, vice domini, or valvasors.
1840. Browning, Sordello, I. 768. Lord, liegeman, valvassor and suzerain, Ere he could choose, surrounded him.
1854. Milman, Lat. Chr., III. 57. Heribert refused to admit the valvassors of the Church of Milan to this privilege.
