Feudal Law. Obs. exc. Hist. [a. AF. escuage, f. OF. escu (mod.F. écu):—L. scūtum shield. Cf. SCUTAGE.]
† 1. The chief form of feudal tenure (lit. shield-service), personal service in the field for a period of forty days in each year. Obs.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, II. 1773. Many helde their landes … with seruice de chiualere and some by escuage.
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, 19. Euery tenant that held lands by a knights fee was tied to do his Lord escuage or shield seruice.
1695. Temple, Hist. Eng. (1699), 171. Those Authors … pretend this Duty of Escuage … to have come over in this Reign.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. V. 74. This kind of tenure was called scutagium in Latin … or servitium scuti … in our Norman French escuage.
b. transf.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. ii. III. (1605–7), I. 454. Our Grand-sires … euen in Age Could render duly Venus Escuage.
1623. Cockeram, Venus-escuage, wanton fleshlinesse.
2. A money payment in lieu of military service; = SCUTAGE.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., an. 1214. 184/1. The king demanded escuage of them that refused to go with him into Poictow.
1641. W. Hakewil, Libertie of the Subject, 17. Every man that by his tenure is bound to serve the King in his warres, and faileth, is to pay … a fine by the name of Escuage.
1679. Blount, Anc. Tenures, 95. When escuage is assessed throughout the land … the said Sir Philip shall pay [etc.].
1738. Hist. Crt. Excheq., ii. 23. The Baron appearing in the Host had Escuage on his own Tenants that made Default.
