History of Land Ownership

• Historically, land was seen as a gift from God.

  • The theological interpretation of land informs the nature of land ownership.
  • It also explains why the monarchy owns land.
• Land is a gift from God to the Crown of England.

  • This was a theoretical interpretation which developed around the year 1200.
• The development of the understanding of land and its relationship with the Crown led to a shift in the way the Crown was understood in England.

  • The monarch went from King of the English to the King of England.
  • Less about the subjects more about the land.
  • Since around the 1200s the concept of land was something that had always belonged to the Crown.
• Feudalism

  • Following the Norman Conquest a system of feudalism would develop
• Feudalism developed because of a number of factors:

  1. The Crown would become the sole owner of land in England.
  2. Labour was an inefficient task at the time of the Conquest due to the lack of industrialisation and coordination at the time.
• Feudalism System/Doctrine of Tenure

  • The King would allow people to use and occupy his land in return for certain services.
  • However this relationship was not limited between a person and the monarch.
  • Those who received a tenure could offer a tenure to someone else.
  • This was known as subinfeudation.
• Land Ownership Today

  • All land is still owned by the Crown
  • An individual's relationship with land is therefore one of estate in the land or interest in the land.