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Simple English definitions for legal terms
castle-guard
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A quick definition of castle-guard:
Castle-guard is a way of protecting a castle. It used to be a job for knights who had to protect the lord's castle. They were given land to live on in exchange for this service. Sometimes, instead of doing this service, people had to pay a tax called castleguard. This tax was charged to people who lived near the castle and was used to pay for the people who watched and protected it.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Castle-guard refers to the protection of a castle. It can also refer to a type of knight-service where a tenant is responsible for protecting the lord's castle. The tenure that gives rise to this knight-service is also called castle-guard. Additionally, castle-guard can refer to a tax that was once imposed in lieu of this knight-service. The territory that is chargeable with the tax imposed in lieu of the knight-service is also called ward.
Example: Castleguard is an imposition upon such of the king's subjects as dwell within a certain compass of any castle, to the maintenance of such as watch and ward it. It is sometimes used for the circuit itself which is inhabited by such as are subject to this service.
Explanation: This example illustrates how castle-guard was a tax imposed on people who lived near a castle to maintain the protection of the castle. The people who paid the tax were responsible for watching and guarding the castle. The term "ward" is also used to refer to the territory that was chargeable with the tax.