Forms: α. 5– tenure, (5 tenur, 7 tenuer); β. 6 tener, ten(n)or, 6–7 tenour. [a. AF., OF. tenure (13th c. in Godef.):—earlier OF. tenüre (11–15th c.), in med.L. tenitūra, tenetūra (c. 1200 in Du Cange), f. tenē-re to hold: see -URE. Med.L. had also (from OF.) teneura, tenura (11th c. in Du Cange). OF. had in same sense, tenor, -our, teneur, app. by some confusion with TENOR sb., whence the β-forms in ME., etc.
A further result of this use of tenor in sense of tenure in OF. and ME. was that tenure was also used for TENOR: see the latter.]
1. The action or fact of holding a tenement (esp. in Eng. Law): see TENEMENT 1.
α. [1292. Britton, I. xix. § 7. En les queus dreitz nul ne se deit eyder par excepcioun de lounge tenure (tr. to aid himself by exception or long tenure).)
1442. Surtees Misc. (1888), 18. We … scrched a tenement… in þe tenur of John Wetelay.
1546. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), III. 16. xv acres of arable lande … in tholdinge of Richard Carlell xvs. one tenemente in Northstanley in the tenure of John Hyrde v s.
1614. Selden, Titles Hon., 31. Those inferior Kings are like in some proportion to those of Man, who haue had it alwayes by a Tenure from their soueraigns, the Kings of England.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. (1634), 113. Some land there was in the tenure of the Locrians.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 100. Is not the Law of the Land … the cause of … every mans right in the Tenure of his Estate?
1874. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. ii. 34. We have not the mark system, but we have the principle of common tenure.
1878. Simpson, Sch. Shaks., I. 53. Hooker wrote to Carew … that the Barony of Odrone was in the tenure of a sect called the Cavanaghs.
β. c. 1505. Plumpton Corr. (Camden), 200. A certayne land in Rybstone, of long tyme in the tennor of one John Ampleforthe.
1589. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees), II. 166. My glebe land in Learmouth, now in the tenor of Johne Moore, for xxj yeares.
1612–13. in N. Riding Rec. (1884), II. 11. A parcell of meadow called the Wraie in the tenour of Rich. Michell.
1658. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), II. 237. A messuage with land … now in tenor of William Wilkenson.
b. gen. and fig. The action or fact of holding anything material or non-material; hold upon something; maintaining a hold; occupation.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., V. iv. Lady, vouchsafe the tenure of this ensigne.
1638. Rouse, Heav. Univ. (1702), Pref. A Christians tenure of religion is far more excellent and assured than that of the Pagan.
1738. Gentl. Mag., VIII. 411/1. They were more One than either Espousals, or a Joint-Tenure of the Throne, could make them.
1810. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1838), V. 497. Their existence in safety at Seville depends upon the tenure of the pass of Monasterio.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., App. ii. (1862), 414. Their salary cannot be altered during their tenure of office.
1855. Brewster, Newton, II. xxvi. 378. Warned of his slight tenure of life.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 330. The tenure of the priesthood should always be for a year and no longer.
1911. W. V. Judson, Washington, a Model City, 7. Never should a man be at the head of a city department who is not an expert in its conduct and reasonably certain in the tenure of his office, so that he may have the courage to say ‘no’ to each one who wishes some yielding from the public interest in his own behalf.
2. The condition of service, etc., under which a tenement is held of the superior; the title by which the property is held; the relations, rights, and duties of the tenant to the landlord. Tenure at will: cf. TENANT AT WILL.
1436. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 501/2. Ye Five Portes and tenure of Gavelkynde.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 12. All these tenauntes maye holde their landes by dyuers tenures, customes, and seruyces: as by homage, fealtie, escuage, socage … burgage tenures, and tenure in vyllenage. Ibid. Also it is to be enquered … who holdeth by charter and who nat, and who by the olde tenure.
1554. Act 1 of 2 Phil. & Mary, c. 8 § 54. The Donor … maye reserve to him and his heires for ever a Tenure in Franck Almoigne.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 132. As he that held Land by tenure to say a certaine number of Pater nosters for the soules of the Kings of England.
1607. Cowell, s.v., Tenure is the manner, whereby tenements are houlden of their Lords.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 85 b. Tenure in Socage, is where the Tenant holdeth of his Lord the tenancie by certaine seruice for all manner of seruices, so that the seruice be not Knights seruice.
1641. Capt. Mervin, in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. (1692), I. 214. The abortive Judgment of the Tenure in Capite, where no Tenure was exprest.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. Introd. iii. 73. A very extensive comment upon a little excellent treatise of tenures, compiled by judge Littleton in the reign of Edward the fourth. Ibid., xiii. 398. Those, who by their military, tenures were bound to perform forty days service in the field.
1774. Pennant, Tour Scot. in 1772, 45. The right of voting is vested by burgess tenure, in certain houses.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), I. 7. The circumstance of annexing a condition of military service to a grant of lands does not imply that they are held by a feudal tenure. Ibid., 27. Where lands held by an allodial tenure were voluntarily converted into feuds. Ibid., 381. Enfranchisement, by which the tenure is changed from base to free.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. xii. II. 549. Involving a complicated texture of rights and tenures, which almost defied unravelling.
1875. J. Curtis, Hist. Eng., 396. The statute 12 Car. II. c. 24, which abolished the military tenures, converting them into freehold.
1893. Pall Mall G., 17 March, 7/1. The new and purely tenure-at-will system gradually gaining ground.
1908. Fenland N. & Q., April, 177. Keyhold Tenure at Crowland…. That house was his because he built it, and because he held the key which admitted him to it and enabled him to keep other people out of it.
β. 1510[?]. Pynson (title), Leteltun teners newe correcte.
1535. (ed. 1562) Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 26 § 2. After the english tenour without diuision or parcion.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., I. ii. (1821), 38. I hold my Lordships and Lands … by very ancient Tenour, which Service and Tenour none may dispence withall.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., lxi. And some (who were in law more Conversant), Demand release of Tenors.
b. transf. Terms of holding; title; authority; hold over a person or thing; control.
1871. Freeman, Hist. Ess., Ser. I. vii. 184–5. Few Englishmen understand the difference between the English tenure of Bourdeaux and the English tenure of Calais.
a. 1879. in Drysdale, Philemon, Introd. 21. To understand the tenure of Philemon over Onesimus, we should keep in mind the stringency of Phrygian bondage.
c. fig. (Cf. 1 b.)
1659. Hammond, On Ps. xxxiv. 8 Paraphr. 18. There is no such assured tenure in or title to all the felicity in the world.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, III. iii. The office of a favourite hath a very uncertain tenure.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 42. Rendering their government feeble in its operations, and precarious in its tenure.
1840. Alison, Hist. Europe (1847), XI. xlix. § 7. 54. The mutable tenure of popular applause.
1863. W. Phillips, Speeches, iii. 53. Republics exist only on the tenure of being constantly agitated.
β. 1682. H. More, Annot. Glanvill’s Lux O., 117. Whether Regeneration be not a stronger tenour for enduring Happiness.
3. concr. A holding; = TENEMENT 2. Now rare.
1439. Rolls of Parlt., V. 16/2. The saide Tennauntz dare nat abide in thaire Tenures and Places, ne no laboure there do. Ibid. (1461), 476/1. All Tenures within the same Lordship been Chartre land, and Free land.
1766. Entick, London, IV. 443. Greenwich-park … is still a royal tenure.
4. attrib. and Comb., as tenure land, roll.
1859. Eyton, Antiq. Shropshire, IX. 39. The Tenure-Roll of 1285 brings up another Ralph de Clotley.
1891. Pall Mall G., 22 Sept., 7/2. Property, consisting of a mansion and several miles of tenure land (twenty-one villages) … in North Jutland.
Hence † Tenurage, Obs., what belongs to a tenure or tenures; general conditions of tenure; † Tenurer, Obs. = TENANT; † Tenurist, Obs., one who deals with or treats of tenures.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, III. ii. 63. Tenant in the first signification sometimes imports duety of *Tenurage: as Tenant by Knight-seruice, Socage, Tenant in Villenage, Burgage. Ibid., IV. Concl. 88. Inroll all the Feudataries & Suiters to the Court with their Fees, Tenurage, Rents, and Seruices.
1660. Waterhouse, Arms & Arm., 106. Nor could they be chargable with what should disable the *Tenurer to do his service.
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., Ded. ¶ ij. It cannot bee, sayde one great *Tenurist, that a good scholler should euer prooue good Lawyer.
a. 1628. Doderidge, Eng. Lawyer (1631), 53. Defiled by the Feudary Tenurist writers of the middle age.
