Hi Matt, Thanks for that explanation. Very helpful. Cathy At 22:23 16/12/2004, you wrote: ><<I have recently received a will from the late 1700's that lists a >copyhold cottage as well as some freehold land and I just wondered if >anybody could please explain to me what copyhold means? Thankyou very >much. Kind regards, Tina Connell>> > > >Hello Tina, > >at the present day there are two ways of owning landed property - 1. >freehold and 2. through a lease or tenancy. But until 1925 there was a >third way - copyhold. > >Before I say something about copyhold, it is necessary first to explain >something else. Nowadays we think of a tenancy as just a shorter and less >formal type of lease, but technically all forms of ownership are >tenancies, and every owner of property has a landlord, even freeholders >(their landlord is the Queen, as she is the feudal lord of the whole >country). <snip> >In 1925 all copyholds were converted into freeholds. > >Matt Tompkins >Blaston, Leics