Escuage

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Escuage \Es"cu*age\ (?; 48), n. [OF. escuage, F. ['e]cuage, from
     OF. escu shield, F. ['e]cu. See {Esquire}.] (Feud. Law)
     Service of the shield, a species of knight service by which a
     tenant was bound to follow his lord to war, at his own
     charge. It was afterward exchanged for a pecuniary
     satisfaction. Called also {scutage}. --Blackstone.


     [1913 Webster]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  ESCUAGE, old Eng. law. Service of the shield. Tenants who hold their land by 
  escuage, hold by knight's service. 1 Tho. Co. Litt. 272; Littl. s. 95, 86 b.