a kind of benefice or fixed revenue attached to certain military orders, and conferred on knights of merit.

There were strict or regular commanderies, obtained by merit in order; others of grace and favour, conferred by the grand master. There were also commanderies for the religious of the orders of St Bernard and St Anthony.

The commanderies of Malta were of different kinds, viz., for knights, chaplains, and brothers servitors. The knight to whom one of these commanderies was given was called commander. The commanders of Malta were rather farmers of the order than beneficiaries, since they paid a certain tribute or rent, called responsio, to the common treasury of the order.

At the suppression of the religious houses in the time of Henry VIII., there were in England at least fifty commanderies, or preceptories as they were often called, and a few of them were possessed of considerable estates; but the greater number were only farms or granges.