FRANKALMOIN

frankalmoin (frangk-al-moyn). [Law French “free alms”] Hist. A spiritual tenure by which a

religious institution held land, usu. with a general duty to pray for the donor. • This tenure differed

from the tenure by divine service, which required specific church services, such as a certain

number of masses or alms distributions. — Also spelled frankalmoign; frankalmoigne. — Also

termed almoign; almoin; free alms; libera eleemosyna. See spiritual tenure under TENURE.

“Frankalmoin, or free alms, was a survival of Anglo-Saxon law, and implied simply an

indefinite promise to pray for the soul of the donor; but since it was deemed a tenure by which the

land was held, the general doctrine of ‘services’ was applied. On the other hand, in the case of

Divine Service, which was much less frequently met with, the tenant promised a definite number

of prayers, a duty which might be enforced in the King’s courts.” A.K.R. Kiralfy, Potter’s Outlines

of English Legal History 210 (5th ed. 1958).[Blacks Law 8th]