Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An Anglo-Saxon legal system in which units or tithings composed of ten households were formed, in each of which members were held responsible for one another's conduct.
- noun A member of a unit in frankpledge.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In old Eng. law: A pledge or surety for the good behavior of freemen; specifically, an early English system by which the members of each decennary or tithing, composed of ten households, were made responsible for one another, so that if one of them committed an offense the other nine were bound to make reparation.
- noun A member of a decennary thus bound in pledge for his neighbors
- noun The decennary or tithing itself.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A pledge or surety for the good behavior of freemen, -- each freeman who was a member of an ancient decennary, tithing, or friborg, in England, being a pledge for the good conduct of the others, for the preservation of the public peace; a free surety.
- noun The tithing itself.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A legal system, based on
tithings , in Anglo-Saxon England, in which members were held responsible for each other's conduct - noun A member of such a tithing
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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By the custom of "frankpledge," every freeman at the age of fourteen was called upon to give securities for his good behaviour.
The Corporation of London, Its Rights and Privileges William Ferneley Allen
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Tell you what - let's get back to basics: frankpledge, the forerunner of the constabulary duty!
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008
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This would seem to tie in with the contents of the document. 1690 would certainly be very late for a traditional view of frankpledge unless the manor was extremely traditional!
03/17/2005 2005
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The group would be responsible for the good behaviour of each other and if one was found guilty of an offence all the frankpledge members would be fined.
03/17/2005 2005
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The principle of each man becoming responsible to the Government for the good behaviour of the neighbour, involved in the system of frankpledge which Alfred established throughout the whole of his kingdom, subject to his rule, was carried a step further by the citizens of London at a later date.
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Ultimately the laws of the 10th and 11th centuries show the beginnings of the frankpledge associations, which came to act so important a part in the local police and administration of the feudal age.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1 Various
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The servants of the Crown were not, as now, bound in frankpledge for each other.
The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 3 Thomas Babington Macaulay Macaulay 1829
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These regulations helped to keep the people of England the most backward in Europe; for though the division into shires and hundreds and tithings was common to them with the neighboring nations, yet the _frankpledge_ seems to be a peculiarity in the English Constitution; and for good reasons they have fallen into disuse, though still some traces of them are to be found in our laws.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 07 (of 12) Edmund Burke 1763
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Saxon principle of frankpledge within the twenti - Once again, there was resistance to the Bill. eth century US laws.
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bilby commented on the word frankpledge
Also frithborh.
September 2, 2021