Freeholder

A FreeholderFreeholderA Freeholder owns one full estate and one full share, enough land to sustain a household independently. Freeholders are the backbone of the countryside. Freeholders owe dues and certain services… owns one full estate and one full share, enough land to sustain a household independently. Freeholders are the backbone of the countryside. Freeholders owe dues and certain services upwards to their lord, often a GrandholderGrandholderA Grandholder is a major landowner who controls multiple estates and possesses several full shares in the regional land system. Grandholders form the upper layer of the rural elite. They…, and ultimately to the ProvostProvostThe Provost is the head of the Provostry of Wingchere, the highest regional authority beneath the Sovereign. Where the Sovereign rules the kingdoms, the Provost rules the provostry, acting as… and SovereignSovereignThe Sovereign is the supreme ruler who holds the crowns of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Prussia or Hanover in personal union. In Kilden and the surrounding regions, all authority…. At the same time, they enjoy recognised rights: to work their own fields, to pass property to their heirs under established rules, and to speak in local gatherings on matters that concern the village or parish.

Many Freeholders have long-standing family ties to their estates. This continuity gives them detailed knowledge of the soil, water and seasons, as well as of the unwritten agreements that govern life in KildenKildenThe Region of Kilden is a rural area, stretching across parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the (former) Kingdom of Hanover (annexed in 1866).…. They can serve on village councils, help settle disputes and, in some places, elect or advise lower officials.