GRAND SERGEANTY (ML. magma serjean tia). The most honorable of the ancient feudal tenures. According to Lyttelton, tenure by grand sergeanty is where a man holds his lands or tenements of his sovereign lord the King by such services as he ought to do in his proper person to the King, as to carry the banner of the King, or his lance, or to lead his army, or to be his marshal, or to carry his sword before him at his coronation, or to be his carver, or his butler, or one of his chamberlains of the receipt of his exchequer, or to do other like services. This tenure must be held directly of the King. Where lands were held of a subject on condition of performance of similar services, the tenure was not grand sergeanty, but knight's service. Thus, lands on the Scottish border held of the King by cornage—i.e. on condition of winding a horn to give notice when the Scots had crossed the border—were held in grand sergeanty; but lands held of a subject for the same service were held in knight's service. Tenants holding by grand sergeanty were free from escuage, which usually appertained to knight's service, and in general could only be called upon to perform their services infra quatuor mania, within the four seas. The services in grand sergeanty were
to be performed by the tenant in person, where he was able to do so. The office of attendance on the sovereign's person was esteemed so hon orable that no one below the dignity of a knight could perform it.' Hence, where lands held by grand sergeanty were in the possession of a citi zen, he was permitted to perform his service by deputy. This tenure by grand sergeanty was by 12 Charles II., c. 24, in common with other military tenures, reduced to common socage (q.v.) ; except so far as regards the honorary services, which continue to be observed to this day.
In Scotland, grand sergeanty was not known as a separate tenure—that is to say, lands held on condition of honorary services rendered to tha sovereign were not attended with any privileges other than those attaching to lands held in a similar manner of a subject superior. In that country a tenure by honorary service was known as a blanch holding. See FEUDALISM; TENURE.