Burgage
Residence of a medieval burgess in a borough town The tenure of the burgage formed the basis of ‘free’ unrestricted entitlement within a borough and its environs. Resident burgesses had rights that included the freedom to transact a trade, to erect or hire a market stall, and to graze animals on town common lands. More importantly was the right to vote over local government and possibly to elect two representative MPs to Parliament. Villainage and burghal systems were the principal…