The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-21
.OLD LEASES HOLD
 THE FEUDAL AGES British Lords and Dukes Pay
 Strange Rentals ONE GIVES A WHITE ROSE Tenant of Bury House Must Present Royalty With White Grey
 hounds On Each Visit To
 New Forest.
ONE GIVES A WHITE ROSE
From Harner's Weekly.

From Harper's Weekly.
 Britons are the inheritors of some strange relics of the Middle Ages in the shape of leases. There are many curious features to be found among the various leasehold systems in force in different parts of the British Isles.
 For instance the Duke of Marlborough holds his estate of Blenheim on condition that he shall present each year flag to his sovereign, q condition which also applies to the estate of Strathfieldsaye, held by the Duke of Wellington. Akin to these old lease provisions Is that per- taining to the estate of the Marquis of Aylesbury, stipulating that the marquis must, on the occasion of a visit from royalty, present the royal parsonage with an ivory drinking cup.
 The occupant of the Bury house, an es- tate in the New Forest, now held by the Mill family, finds that by the terms of his leasehold he must, upon the entrance of the King into the New Forest pre- sent for the rulers acceptance a brace of white greyhounds, @ breed of dogs that has been carefully preserved by the family mentioned. This queer condition has been practically set forth by the ar tist Lawrence, whose painting shows George III in the act of receiving a brace of these dogs. The legal term for this form of tenure is "petit sergeantry" muSI OlNe NIH9 1OSS.
 Another interesting instance of petit sergeantry Is the stipulation that the Dukes of Athol must, by way of of rental for their estate, hand to the King a white rose whenever his majesty shall visit them.
 Odd conditions attend the holding of church lands in England. For the most part these lands are still held by the curious form of tenure called frank l 11 farr,a fra o1t Jf, tenants are not bound to allegiance to their lords, inasnuch as 1t Is contended that their prayers and aims release them from such service.
 Borough English, still in existence in parts of the United Kingdom, Is the term applied to the right of succession of the younger son, instead of the eldest, to real property in the event of the fath- CT dying intestate. Tn one county Sus- sex, not the youngest son, but the young !. est daughter, inherits the property thus 1 left. This odd form of tenure is found in many parts of Europe, except in Spain and Italy, and, according to the opinion of the best continental lawyers, defies all attempts at exclamation.
 In one court of England there is form of tenure called "gavelkind," the chief provision of which is that land descends l not to the eldest or the youngest, but to l all the sons collectively.
 Rentals on Shops Small.
 Some of the strangest of British lease hold. systems are found in the heart of London itself.
 For example, there may be cited the 1 case of shops in the fashionable district where the rentals average from $40, ,000 to l $5O00 year. It would, of course, ap- 1 pear to the stranger that all rents in that l locality would average about the same | price. Nevertheless, there are shops in 1 the locality mentioned the rents of which | are but S20 to $35 yearly.
 This curious situation arises from the | fact that they are for the most part the property of the city corporation and have come down attended with many odd l lease features. These leases must be re- newed by their holders after a period of seven or of fourteen years, as the case may be; and on every such occasion there must be paid fine" the total amount of which is equal to about seven times the rental.
 It follows, therefore, that these queer leases are, to all intents, renewable for ever, the result invariably that when the shop held under lease from the city corporation Is sold 1t brings almost the actual market value of freehold property.