Law. 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 sb.2 and FARM sb.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 graunte 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 (Arb.), 284. All suche stuffe and marchandies wherof custome shuld bee payde in the redde sea by such as had the same in fee ferme, as were payde the customes of all other prouinces perteynynge to the Romane Empyre.
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. Shaks., 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. Manwood, Lawes Forest, xxi. § 4 (1615), 201. Paying unto the King a certain fee ferme or rent for ye 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. v. 287. What he did carry to France was not the fee-farm payment to Rome, but the restitution money to the English prelates.
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, Fair Play in Landlords, in 19th Cent., July, 126. I myself have endeavoured to make a beginning in a few cases by way of fines and fee-farm grants.
Hence Fee-farming vbl. sb., 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.
