seigneur

Seigneur is a historical title used in medieval and early modern France to denote a lord who held a fief, known as a seigneurie, and exercised authority over a defined territory and its inhabitants. Seigneurs were vassals of the king or of higher nobility and owed fealty and military service in exchange for the right to govern and benefit from their lands. The term also appears in the broader feudal context in which lords administered justice, collected rents, and managed the economic life of their domain.

Etymology and meaning: Seigneur derives from Old French seigneur, itself from Latin senior, meaning older or elder, reflecting the lordly status associated with command and authority. In practice, a seigneur’s power varied by region and period, but commonly included jurisdiction over land tenure, taxation, and local governance within the seigneurie.

Rights and duties: Seigneurs exercised a range of privileges and obligations. They granted land to peasants or habitants, collected dues and rents, and often stored rights to perform banalities such as operating mills or baking ovens for the inhabitants. They also held certain judicial powers within their territory and were responsible for maintaining infrastructure and order, sometimes including the provision of roads and defense.

Seigneurial system in the Americas: In New France (Canada), the seigneurial system imported from France persisted from the 17th century until its abolition in the mid-19th century. Seigneurs granted lots to settlers (habitants) who cultivated the land and paid rents or dues, while the lord administered local affairs and infrastructure under colonial governance.

Legacy: The term survives in historical discussion and place names. In contemporary France, the feudal seigneurial system was abolished during the French Revolution, though the word remains part of historical and genealogical references.