cottar

A cottar is a historical term used in Britain, especially Scotland and northern England, to describe a smallholder tenant who occupied a modest cottage and cultivated a small plot of land on an estate. The word derives from the Old English cot, meaning cottage, and in records the cottar is often contrasted with more substantial tenants or with landless laborers.

tenancy and duties: Cottars held their dwelling and often a small holding from a superior, such as a laird or landowner. Rent was typically paid in cash or kind (produce from the land), and, in some arrangements, may have included occasional labour or service to the lord of the manor. The exact terms varied by estate and period.

social standing and changes: Cottars were among the lowest tiers of rural tenants. Their livelihoods depended on fluctuating agricultural conditions and rents, making them vulnerable to eviction or displacement, especially during periods of agricultural change, enclosure, or estate improvements in the 18th and 19th centuries.

relationship to crofters and other tenants: In Scotland, the term is often connected with crofters, who held longer-term leases on slightly larger crofts. Over time, the terminology shifted, with crofter becoming more common for small-scale tenants, while cottar remains primarily a historical designation found in older documents and literature.

modern usage: Today, cottar is mainly of historical and linguistic interest, appearing in estate records, genealogical sources, and discussions of rural social history. It provides insight into the gradations of rural tenancy and the lived experience of smallholders in past centuries.