Common Rights
A ‘common right’ is a traditional right, privilege or immunity held by an individual, or with others, for beneficial purposes. It would be the right of a ‘commoner’ to take resources from a piece of common land and is therefore ‘a right of common’ (a right of folkland). Most common lands (more than 7,000 in England) were originally waste of a ‘manorial’ estate held by a lord during the feudal period. Appurtenant rights of land use were granted to certain…