s defined to be a liberty of free chase, whereby persons that have lands within the compass of the same, are prohibited to cut down any wood, &c. out of the view of the forester.
FRANK-FEE, signifies the same thing as holding lands and tenements in fee-simple; that is to any person and his heirs, and not by such service as is required by ancient demesne, but is pleaded at common law. See Fee.
FRANK-LAW, a word applied to the free and common law of the land, or the benefit a person has by it.
He that for any offence loseth this frank-law incurs these inconveniences, viz. He may not be permitted to serve on juries, nor used as an evidence to the truth; and if he has any thing, to do in the king's court, he must not approach it in person, but appoint his attorney; his lands, goods, and chattels, shall be seized into the king's hands; and his lands be escheated, his trees rooted up, and his body committed to custody.
FRANK-Marriage, in Law, is where tenements are given by one man to another, together with a wife, who is the daughter or cousin to the donor, to hold in frank-marriage. By such gift, though nothing but the word frank-marriage is prefixed, the donees shall have the tenements to them, and the heirs of their two bodies begotten; that is, they are tenants in special tail. For this one word, frank-marriage, denotes, ex usu termini, not only an inheritance, like the word frank-almoigne, but likewise limits that inheritance; supplying, not only words of descent, but of procreation also. Such donees in frank-marriage are liable to no service but fealty: for a rent reserved therein is void until the fourth degree of consanguinity be past between the illes of the donor and donee.
FRANK-Pledge, in Law, signifies a pledge or surety for the behaviour of freemen.
According to the ancient custom of England, for the preservation of the public peace, every freeborn man, at the age of fourteen, except religious persons, clerks, knights, and their eldest sons, was obliged to give security for his truth and behaviour towards the king and his subjects, or else be imprisoned. Accordingly, a certain number of neighbours became interchangeably bound for each other, to see each person of their pledge forthcoming at all times, or to answer for the offence of any one gone away: so that whenever any person offended, it was presently inquired in what pledge he was, and there the persons bound either produced the offender in 31 days, or made satisfaction for his offence.