Obs. Also 5 terage. [a. OF. terage (13th c. in Godef.):—pop. L. terrāticum (869 in Du Cange), f. L. terra earth: see -AGE. Hence med.L. terrāgium (1030 in Du Cange).]
1. Land; a territory, district.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1072. Þai comen to the cost … of the terage of Troy. Ibid., 13631. Þat Pirrus schuld haue þe terrage of tessayle and þe tryed corone.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 480/1. Terage, erthe, humus, solum, terragium.
2. Old Law. Some kind of payment or duty. (Actual meaning uncertain; see quots.)
The statements of the 17th-c. law dicts. are guesses. Gross takes it as = PICKAGE. But, as some charters have terrage besides stallage and pickage, the meaning may be payment for the ground or ‘stance’ occupied at a fair or market without breaking the ground.
[1301. Lincoln Charter, in Cal. Charter Rolls, III. 9.
1349. in W. Hardy, Lancaster Charters (1845), 6. Quod … sint quieti de pavagio, passagio, paagio, lastagio, stallagio, tallagio, cariagio, pesagio, piccagio, et terragio.]
1691. Blount, Law Dict., Terrage (Terragium) [quotes the prec. patent, and says] which seems to be an exemption á Præcariis, viz. Boons of Plowing, Reaping, &c. and perhaps from Money paid for digging or breaking the Earth in Fairs and Markets.
1749. in Pote, Hist. Windsor, 120. (Transl. of a Charter) That the said Custos or Canons and their tenants should for ever be free from payment of Toll, Picage, Paviage,… Terrage [etc.].
[1890. Gross, Gild Merchant, II. 420. Terragium. The same as Picagium (413), Duty paid by a stranger on markets and fairs to break the ground and erect a stall.]
3. ? A toll or duty paid for landing; landing dues.
[1318. Grimsby Charter, in Cal. Charter Rolls, III. 411 [tr. quit of toll … hansage, anchorage, terrage, quayage, passage, and pedage].]
1664. Hale, Treat., II. iv., in Hargrave, Coll. Tracts (1787), I. 57. The defendants … shewed usage to have had certain customs called land-leave, terrage, &c. Ibid., vi. 76. Terrage, for the necessary unlading of goods before they come up to the common key.
