What was a "YEOMAN"?

[Officer Dibble]

I am researching my family - a large number of whom lived in Cornwall. I have a marriage certificate for 1850 showing one of my relatives - WILLIAM PASCOE - to be a Yeoman. Can anyone shed any light on what this entailed? I have searched the 1841 and 1851 censuses to see if I can identify my relative buit haven't found any reference to a William Pascoe with that occupation.

All suggestions gratefully received.

Many thanks

OD

[Elaine ..Spain]

Definition from the Old Occupations website:
Old Occupations - X-Z

Yeoman
1) Farmer who owns his own land rather than a tenant farmer; qualified to serve on juries and vote for shire representatives.
2) Assistant to an official.
3) Crewmember (Navy petty officer) in charge of ship's stores.

[margaretmarch]

From wikipedia
As such, yeoman may refer to several general meanings:

* A man holding a small landed estate, a minor landowner
* A freeman, or man born free
* A small prosperous farmer, especially from the Elizabethan era onwards (16th-17th century)
* A deputy, assistant, journeyman, a loyal or faithful servant
Any good?
margaret

[margaretmarch]

oops Elaine pipped me at the post!

[Officer Dibble]

Hi Elaine and Margaret

Many thanks for your responses. "Farmer" seems the most likely alternative so I'll look out for that in the censuses.

OD

[Moiramary]

I found this definition of a yeoman farmer ages ago but have forgotten the source.
"A land owning peasant with at least one riding horse." I think they had to able to give military service to the local Lord if required and so would need a riding horse as opposed to a work horse. Moira.

[Penelope]

By the 18thC and 19th|C it referred usually to someone fairly substantial, usually with the right to vote. They were seen as the class under the gentry, and would be careful to self describe as 'yeoman' not merely 'farmer' whenever possible! The gentry would rarely marry into the yeoman class - there's all that business in Jane Austen's 'Sense and Sensibility'. My yeoman ancestors can be found in the Poll Books, and their land and buildings are listed on tithe maps. Tenant farmers may also gain the same privileges if they had a lot of land and made good money!

[Olde Crone Holden]

Historically, a Yeoman was a man owning and cultivating a small estate with a 40 shilling annual value, and he was entitled to serve on a jury and vote for a knight of the shire.

He also owed fealty to the Lord of the Manor and way back in time, a Yeoman was considered a servant of the Crown and was expected to serve at least some time in the Royal Household as a servant.

I suppose a quick description would be "County, not Gentry", as Penelope says.

OC

[Uncle John]

From The "Merrie England", suite composed by Sir Edward German.

The Yeomen!

When my brother's class sang this at school, they emphasised "ing-GLAND".

My auntie had this on a 78 when I was a child.