Liberty (division)
Encyclopedia
Originating in the Middle Ages
, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord
(that is to say, an area in which rights reserved to the king had been devolved into private hands). It later became a unit of local government administration.
Liberties were areas of widely variable extent which were independent of the usual system of hundreds and borough
s for a number of different reasons, usually to do with peculiarities of tenure
. Because of their tenurial rather than geographical origin, the areas covered by liberties could either be widely scattered across a county
or limited to an area smaller than a single parish
: an example of the former is Fordington Liberty
, and of the latter, the Liberty of Waybayouse
, both in Dorset
.
In northern England, the liberty of Bowland
was one of the larger tenurial configurations covering some ten manors, eight townships and four parishes under the sway of a single feudal lord, the Lord of Bowland, the so-called Lord of the Fells
. Up until 1660, such lords would have been lords paramount
.
Legislation passed in 1836 ended the temporal jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York
and the Bishop of Ely
in several liberties, and the Liberties Act 1850
permitted the merging of liberties in their counties. By 1867, only a handful remained: Ely, Havering-atte-Bower, St Albans, Peterborough, Ripon and Haverfordwest. St Albans was subsequently joined to the county of Hertfordshire
in 1875.
The Local Government Act 1888
led to the ending of the special jurisdictions: the Isle of Ely
and Soke of Peterborough
became administrative counties
, while the three remaining liberties were united to their surrounding counties.
and Middle Temple
(which neighbour each other) are often regarded as being liberties, and retain a large degree of independence to the present day. They are extra-parochial area
s, historically not governed by the City of London Corporation (and are today regarded as local authorities for most purposes) and equally outside the ecclesiastical jurisdiction
of the Bishop of London
. They geographically fall within the boundaries and liberties of the City of London
, but can be thought of as independent enclaves.
In the United States:
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord
Mesne lord
A mesne lord was a lord in the feudal system who had vassals who held land from him, but who was himself the vassal of a higher lord. A mesne lord did not hold land directly of the king, that is to say he was not a tenant-in-chief. His subinfeudated estate was called a "mesne estate"...
(that is to say, an area in which rights reserved to the king had been devolved into private hands). It later became a unit of local government administration.
Liberties were areas of widely variable extent which were independent of the usual system of hundreds and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s for a number of different reasons, usually to do with peculiarities of tenure
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
. Because of their tenurial rather than geographical origin, the areas covered by liberties could either be widely scattered across a county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
or limited to an area smaller than a single parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
: an example of the former is Fordington Liberty
Fordington (liberty)
Fordington Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:* Fordington* Hermitage* Minterne Magna * Stockland...
, and of the latter, the Liberty of Waybayouse
Waybayouse Liberty
Waybayouse Liberty or Wabyhouse Liberty was a liberty in the county of Dorset, England, containing part of the parish of Upwey....
, both in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
In northern England, the liberty of Bowland
Forest of Bowland
The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...
was one of the larger tenurial configurations covering some ten manors, eight townships and four parishes under the sway of a single feudal lord, the Lord of Bowland, the so-called Lord of the Fells
Lord of the Fells
Lord of the Fells is a subsidiary title of the Lords of Bowland. The title is thought to have become customary during the high medieval period as a description of the Lords' rugged upland demesne. Bowland Fells, more widely known as the Forest of Bowland, is an area of barren gritstone fells,...
. Up until 1660, such lords would have been lords paramount
Lord Paramount
Paramount , is the highest authority, or that being of the greatest importance...
.
Legislation passed in 1836 ended the temporal jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
and the Bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
in several liberties, and the Liberties Act 1850
Liberties Act 1850
The Liberties Act 1850 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that provided a mechanism to enable the various liberties or independent jurisdictions in England and Wales to be merged into the geographical counties in which they lay.-Background:Throughout England and Wales there were...
permitted the merging of liberties in their counties. By 1867, only a handful remained: Ely, Havering-atte-Bower, St Albans, Peterborough, Ripon and Haverfordwest. St Albans was subsequently joined to the county of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in 1875.
The Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
led to the ending of the special jurisdictions: the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
and Soke of Peterborough
Soke of Peterborough
The Soke of Peterborough is an historic area of England that is traditionally associated with the City and Diocese of Peterborough, but considered part of Northamptonshire...
became administrative counties
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
, while the three remaining liberties were united to their surrounding counties.
Inner and Middle Temples
Inner TempleInner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
and Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
(which neighbour each other) are often regarded as being liberties, and retain a large degree of independence to the present day. They are extra-parochial area
Extra-parochial area
In the United Kingdom, an extra-parochial area or extra-parochial place was an area considered to be outside any parish. They were therefore exempt from payment of any poor or church rate and usually tithe...
s, historically not governed by the City of London Corporation (and are today regarded as local authorities for most purposes) and equally outside the ecclesiastical jurisdiction
Ecclesiastical jurisdiction
Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in its primary sense does not signify jurisdiction over ecclesiastics , but jurisdiction exercised by church leaders over other leaders and over the laity....
of the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
. They geographically fall within the boundaries and liberties of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, but can be thought of as independent enclaves.
List of liberties
- AllertonshireAllertonshireAllertonshire or Allerton was a wapentake and liberty in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England.It was named after Northallerton , the county town of the North Riding, and was historically associated with the Bishop of Durham, being an ecclesiastical peculiar until the 19th century.The contiguous...
- AlverstokeAlverstokeAlverstoke is a parish in the borough of Gosport, Hampshire, England, that encompasses land stretching from Haslar to Stokes Bay. Alverstoke lies within half a mile of the shore of Stokes Bay and near the head of a creek which extends a mile westward from Portsmouth Harbour...
Liberty - BeaulieuBeaulieu-England:* Beaulieu, Hampshire, a village in the New Forest* Beaulieu Abbey, located in Beaulieu, Hampshire* Beaulieu Palace House, located in Beaulieu, Hampshire* Beaulieu River, running through Beaulieu, Hampshire...
Liberty - Bentley Liberty
- Bircholt Franchise and Barony
- Bolingbroke Soke
- Bowland, Forest of BowlandForest of BowlandThe Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...
, Forest and Liberty of Bowland - Breamore Liberty
- Liberty of BrickendonBrickendonBrickendon is a village in the civil parish of Brickendon Liberty in the district of East Hertfordshire about 3 miles south of the county town Hertford, and is served by Bayford railway station....
- Precinct of Bridewell
- BridgnorthBridgnorthBridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
Liberty - Liberty of the ClinkLiberty of the ClinkThe Liberty of the Clink was an area in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite the City of London. Although situated in Surrey the liberty was exempt from the jurisdiction of the county's high sheriff and was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester who was usually...
- DibdenDibdenDibden is a small village in Hampshire, England. It dates back to the Middle Ages but is nowadays dominated by the nearby settlements of Hythe and Dibden Purlieu...
Liberty - DoncasterDoncasterDoncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
Soke - List of liberties in Dorset
- Liberty of DurhamLiberty of DurhamThe Liberty of Durham was a Saxon regional division of the North of England under the control of the Bishop of Durham.The liberty was known variously as the "Liberty of Durham", "Liberty of St Cuthbert's Land" "The lands of St. Cuthbert between Tyne and Tees" or "The Liberty of Haliwerfolc". The...
- East Medina Liberty
- East Smithfield Liberty
- Ely Place Liberty
- Ely Rents Liberty
- Liberty of Glasshouse YardGlasshouse YardThe Liberty of Glasshouse Yard was an extra-parochial liberty adjacent to the City of London. The liberty took its name from a glass manufacturing works established there. The area now forms part of the London Borough of Islington.-Formation:...
- GranthamGranthamGrantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
Soke - HavantHavantHavant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
Liberty - Hatton Garden Liberty
- HaverfordwestHaverfordwestHaverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
- Royal Liberty of HaveringRoyal Liberty of HaveringHavering, also known as Havering-atte-Bower, was a royal manor and ancient liberty whose former area now forms part of, and gives its name to, the London Borough of Havering in Greater London...
- Horncastle Soke
- Liberty of HowdenshireHowdenshireHowdenshire was a wapentake and a liberty of England, lying around the town of Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire.In the Saxon period, the district was under the control of Peterborough's monastery, but it was confiscated by Edward the Confessor, and then given to the Bishop of Durham by...
- Isle of ElyIsle of ElyThe Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
- Liberty of LangbaurghLangbaurgh (wapentake)Langbaurgh was a wapentake , or liberty, of the North Riding of Yorkshire. It covered an area on the northern coast of the county, including Middlesbrough, Easby, Great Ayton, Guisborough, Marske-by-the-Sea, Maltby, Easington, Redcar, and Whitby - the Cleveland area.The wapentake had two...
- Langport Liberty
- Liberty of Norton FolgateLiberty of Norton FolgateNorton Folgate or Liberty of Norton Folgate may refer to:* Norton Folgate, a street in central London* Liberty of Norton Folgate, an ancient administrative area in central London...
- Old Artillery Ground LibertyOld Artillery GroundThe Old Artillery Ground is an area of land in Spitalfields, London formerly designated one of the Liberties of the Tower of London and Crown Land....
(part of the Liberties of the Tower of LondonLiberties of the Tower of LondonThe Liberties of the Tower, or the Tower Liberty was an area adjoining the Tower of London, which was outside the jurisdiction of either the City of London or the County of Middlesex....
) - Soke of PeterboroughSoke of PeterboroughThe Soke of Peterborough is an historic area of England that is traditionally associated with the City and Diocese of Peterborough, but considered part of Northamptonshire...
- Pevensey Lowey
- Portsmouth and Portsea Island Liberty
- Liberty of RuffordLiberty of RuffordThe Liberty of Rufford was an extra-parochial liberty in the County of Nottinghamshire.It extends southward from the vicinity of Ollerton, for more than six miles, along the banks of the Rainworth-water, and consists of 10,221 acres...
- RichmondshireRichmondshireRichmondshire is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. It covers a large northern area of the Yorkshire Dales including Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, Wensleydale and Coverdale, with the prominent Scots' Dyke and Scotch Corner along the centre. Teesdale lies to the north...
- Liberty of RiponLiberty of RiponThe Liberty of Ripon or Riponshire was a liberty possessing separate county jurisdiction, although situated within the county of Yorkshire....
- Romney MarshRomney MarshRomney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 mi ² .-Quotations:*“As Egypt was the gift of the Nile, this level tract .....
Liberty - Liberty of the RollsLiberty of the RollsThe Liberty of the Rolls was a liberty, and civil parish from 1866, in the metropolitan area of London, England.It consisted of the part of the ancient parish of St Dunstan-in-the-West that was in the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex, the rest was within the City of London...
- Liberty of St AlbansLiberty of St AlbansThe Liberty of St Albans was a liberty situated within Hertfordshire, but enjoying the powers of an independent county. It was originally associated with the abbey of St Albans, and later with the borough corporation. It was absorbed by Hertfordshire in 1874...
- St Martin's le Grand
- Savoy Precinct/Liberty
- Liberty of Saint Edmund
- Precinct of St Katharine
- Liberty of Saffron HillSaffron HillSaffron Hill is the name of a street in the south eastern corner of the London Borough of Camden, between Farringdon Road and Hatton Garden. The name of the street derives from the fact that it was at one time part of an estate on which saffron grew....
- Isle of SheppeyIsle of SheppeyThe Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
Liberty - ShrewsburyShrewsburyShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
Liberty - SlaidburnSlaidburnSlaidburn is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. With a population in 2001 of just under 300, it covers just over 5000 acres of the Forest of Bowland...
, Manor and Liberty of Slaidburn - Borough of SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
- Southwell and Scrooby
- Lowey of TonbridgeLowey of TonbridgeThe Lowey of Tonbridge is the name given to the large tract of land given to Richard Fitz Gilbert in West Kent, England by William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings as a reward for his assistance in winning the battle. Richard was a cousin of William's with both being descended from...
- Tower divisionTower divisionThe Tower Division was a liberty, a historical form of local government, in the ancient county of Middlesex, England. It was also known as the Tower Hamlets, and took its name from being under the special jurisdiction of the Constable of the Tower of London...
- Liberties of the Tower of LondonLiberties of the Tower of LondonThe Liberties of the Tower, or the Tower Liberty was an area adjoining the Tower of London, which was outside the jurisdiction of either the City of London or the County of Middlesex....
- Wenlock Franchise
- West Medina Liberty
- Liberty of WestminsterLiberty of WestminsterThe City and Liberty of Westminster was an independent liberty, located to the west of the City of London in the county of Middlesex, England....
- Westover LibertyWestover, HampshireWestover, Hampshire, was the ancient manor, now in Dorset, over which much of modern Bournemouth has developed. This area of land marked a historic boundary between Celtic and Saxon civilisations, which found expression as the county boundary between Hampshire to the east and Dorset to the west...
- Precinct of Whitefriars
- Whitby Strand Liberty
In the United States:
- Northern Liberties