Free Bench
Preserved but no longer current.
A legal term denoting a widow's right to a copyhold in certain English manors. It is not a dower or gift, but a free right independent of the will of the husband. Called bench because, upon acceding to the estate, she becomes a tenant of the manor, and entitled to sit on the bench at manorial courts.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Free Bench” mean?
A legal term denoting a widow's right to a copyhold in certain English manors. It is not a dower or gift, but a free right independent of the will of the husband. Called bench because, upon acceding to the estate, she becomes a tenant of the manor, and entitled to sit on the bench at manorial courts.
Is “Free Bench” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.