Frank Tenement (liberum tenementum), is land or tenement which a man holds in fee-simple, fee-tail, or for a term of life. Freehold is of two kinds, in deed and in law. The first is the real possession of land or tenement in fee, fee-tail, or for life; the other is the right to such land or tenement before entry or seizure.

Freehold is sometimes taken in opposition to villenage. Lambard observes, that land, in the time of the Saxons, was distinguished into bookland, i.e. held by book or writing; and folkland, i.e. held without writing: the former was held on far better condition, and by the better sort of tenants, as noblemen and gentlemen, being such as we now call freeholders; the latter for the most part in possession of peasants, being held by them as tenants at will.

FREE IMPERIAL CITIES. This appellation was bestowed, under the German empire, on certain cities which acknowledged no head but the emperor and were governed by their own magistrates. Some of these cities, as Worms and Cologne, acquired various privileges and immunities at an early period, in consequence of the assistance they rendered the emperors in repressing the arrogance of the nobles; and commerce and manufactures gradually contributed to their importance. In this manner the imperial cities originated in the middle of the twelfth century. It would appear, however, that there were free cities in Germany which had existed from the time of the Romans, though possessing little in common with those of later times, and which in the beginning of the sixteenth century lost their most valuable privileges, and even the name of free cities, through the ignorance and carelessness of their magistrates. As to the nature of these privileges it will be sufficient to remark that they were such as to constitute them nothing less than independent republics. The cities of Lombardy, enriched by commerce and encouraged by the popes, often ventured to resist their masters the emperors; and their example was followed by those of Germany. In the middle of the thirteenth century two important confederacies were established for common objects—the Hanseatic League in 1241, and that of the Rhenish cities in 1246. The powerful Hanseatic League lasted nearly 400 years, and its dissolution was effected by several causes in 1630. The remnants of this league, with the former confederacy of cities which had its representatives in the German diet, as well as the free cities of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck were incorporated with the French empire in 1810. As these cities co-operated vigorously in the recovery of German independence, they were acknowledged, together with Francfort, as free cities by the congress of Vienna; and as such they joined the German confederacy, June 8, 1815, and obtained the right of a vote in the diet. (See also HANSE TOWNS.)