Chiefly Sc. Obs. exc. Hist. [SUB- 9 (b).] An under-vassal; a vassal of a vassal.
1480. Acta Dom. Conc. (1839), 52/1. His landes of Wyndale quhilk he haldes of þe lard of Ȝestre in preiudice and skath of þe said Richart his subvassale & tennand.
1565. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 358. Gif he be Erle, Lord, Barroun, frehaldar, wassale, subwassall, fewar, or heritour.
1606. Acts Parl. Scot., Jas. VI. (1816), IV. 287/1. Act anent setting of fewis be subvassellis of waird landis.
1681. Stair, Inst. Law Scot., I. xiii. 236. Charters granted by his [sc. the king’s] Vassals to their Sub-vassals.
1750. Carte, Hist. Eng., II. 290. The subvassals were … subject, in cases of rebellion, to the same forfeitures and penalties, as the immediate vassal.
1838. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., 88. B, the subvassal, has thus two superiors; A, from whom he derives his right, and the Crown, which is his mediate superior.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., III. vi. (1872), I. 251. They shall be Subvassals under us as Hereditary Duke.
1878. Lecky, Eng. in 18th Cent., I. ii. 171. The great charter compelled the barons to grant their subvassals mitigations of feudal burdens.
Hence Subvassalage, the condition of being a subvassal; a property held by a subvassal.
1775. L. Shaw, Hist. Moray, II. 123. On the West side of the river … is Coulclachie, a subvassalage of Angus MacIntosh.
1838. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., 88. This would be to deprive A of his subvassalage, which no act of the Crown or of B can accomplish.
