frank

In old English law. Free.

in Old English Law. Free. Usually employed in compounds, as frankbank, free bench (g. v.). To send letters and other mall matter free ot postage. See Franking Privilege.

adj.

In old English law. Free. Occurring in several compounds.

— Frank-almoigne. In English law. Free alms. A spiritual tenure whereby religious corporations, aggregate or sole, held lands of the donor to them and their successors forever. They were discharged of all other except religious services, and the trinoda necessitas. It differs from tenure by divine service, in that the latter required the performance of certain divine services, whereas the former, as its name imports, is free. This tenure is expressly excepted in the 12 Car. II. c. 24, § 7, and therefore still subsists in some few instances. 2 Broom & H. Comm. 203.

— Franh bank. In old English law. Free bench. Litt. § 166; Co.. Litt. 110b. See Free Ben ch.

— Frank-chase. A liberty of free cbase enjoyed by any one, whereby all other persons having ground within that compass are forbidden to cut down wood, etc., even in their own demesnes, to the prejudice of the owner of the liberty. Cowell. See Chase.

— Frank-fee. Freehold lands exempted from nil services, but not from homage; lands held otherwise than in ancient demesne. That which a man holds to himself and his heirs, and not by such service as is required in ancient demesne, according to the custom of the manor. Cowell.

— Franh ferm. In English law. A species of estate held in socage, said by Britton to be "lands and tenements whereof the nafure of the fee is changed by feoffment out of chivalry for certain yearly services, and in respect whereof neither homage, ward, marriage, nor relief can be demanded." Britt. <5. 66; 2 Bl. Comm. 80,

— Frank-fold. In old English law. Free-fold; a privilege for the lord to have all the sheep of his tenants and the inhabitants within his seigniory, in his fold, in his demesnes, to manure his land. Keilw. i98.

— Frank-law. An obsolete expression signifying the rights and privileges of a citizen, or the liberties and civic rights of a freeman.

— Frank-marriage. A species of entailed estates, in English law, now grown out of use, but still capable of subsisting. When tenements are given by one to another, together with a wife, who is a daughter or cousin of the donor, to hold in frank-marriage, the donees shall have the tenements to them and the heirs of their two bodies begotten, i. e., in special tail. For the word "frank-marriage," ex vi termini, both creates and limits an inheritance, not only supplying words of descent, but also terms of procreation. The donees are liable to no service except fealty, and a reserved rent would be void, until the fourth degree of consanguinity be passed between the issues of the donor and donee, when they were capable by the law of the church of intermarrying. Litt. § 19; 2 Bl. Comm. 115.

— Frank-pledge. In old English law. A pledge or surety for freemen; that is, the pledge, or corporate responsibility, of all the inhabitants of a tithing for the general good behavior of each free-born citizen above the age of fourteen, and for his being forthcoming to answer any infraction of the law. Termes de la Ley ; Cowell.

— Frank-tenant. A freeholder. Litt. § 91.

— Frank-tenement, In English law. A free tenement, freeholding, or freehold. 2 Bl. Comm. 6l, 62, 104; 1 Steph. Comm. 217; Bract, fol. 207. Used to denote both the tenure and the estate.

v. To send matter through the public mails free of postage, by a personal or official privilege.

franc, francho, fraxmc, fraunche, I. fr. Free. Frankalmoigfn: free alms; a tenure by spiritual services without fealty in land held by a religious corporation to them and their successors for- ' ever. Frank bank: free bench. Frank chase: free chase; the liberty or franchise of having a chase. Frank fee: a species of tenure in fee simple, being the opposite of ancient demesne, or copyhold. Frank ferm: lands in socage tenure; lands the fee of which is changed by feoffment out of chivalry for certain yearly services. Frank-fold, frankfaulde: free fold; a privilege of the lord to have the sheep of his tenants in his fold, in his demesnes, to manure his land. Frank law: the liberty of being sworn in court as a juror or witness; one of the ancient privileges of a freeman. Frank marriage: an estate tail special given upon marriage to the husband of the donor's female relative, to them and the heirs of their bodies free of all services, except feally, until the fourth generation. Frank pledge: a free pledge; a decennary, tithing or f riborg. Frank tenant: a free bolder. Frank tenement: a free tenement, freeholding or freehold.

adj. Inold Englishlaw. Free. Occurring in several compounds.

a Free. Frankalmoign. Tenure in consideration of religious services (alms).^ Frankpledge. Surety for general good behavior, anciently required of freeborn persons. Franktenement. A freehold. See Feud. To frank. To send free. Franking privilege. The liberty of sending postal matter through the mails free of charge. Has existed, in theory, for the public good. The act of January 31, 1873, repealed former laws, from and after July 1, 1873.« The act of March 3, 1875, sees. 3, 5, 7, permits members of Congress, and certain executive officials, to send free, public documents (g. i;.), acts of Congress, and seeds supplied by the commissioner of agriculture.? The acts of March 3, 1877, sec. 7, and of March 3, 1879, sec. 1, provide that the privilege shall be enjoyed until the first Monday of Deceniber'following the expiration of the individual's term of office * — the fourth of March. The privilege is also spoken of as the member's "frank."

Franc, Fraune, Fraunche. L. Fr. Free. Et pur ceo que e Uctions doient estre franks, cy defend le roy sur la greeve forfeiture que nul haute home, ne auter, per poyer des armes, ne per malice ou menaces, ne disturbs de fairs franke election. And inasmuch as elections ought to be free, the king commands, under a grievous forfeiture, that no great man, nor other, by force of arms, nor by malice or menaces, shall disturb any to make free election. Stat. Westm. 1, c. 5.

free. This word is used in composition, as frank-almoign, frank-marriage, frank-tenement, &c.