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In the feudal system of Europe, a baron was a “man” who pledged his loyalty and service to his superior in return for land that he could pass to his heirs. The superior, sovereign in his principality, held his lands “of no one”—i.e., independently—and the baron was his tenant-in-chief.
Besides grants of land, these subjects were usually given titles that implied nobility and rank, such as Duke, Earl, Baron, etc, which were passed down through the holder’s male line. Barons were the lowest rank of nobility and were granted small parcels of land.
The final rank is baron, which was introduced by the Normans. The first baron to be formally created was John Beauchamp de Holt, who was made Baron Kidderminster by Richard II in 1387. A woman who holds the rank, or the wife of a baron, is styled “baroness.”
Often, barons hold their fief – their lands and income – directly from the monarch. Barons are less often the vassals of other nobles. In many kingdoms, they were entitled to wear a smaller form of a crown called a coronet. The term originates from the Latin term barō, via Old French.
Periodically all the tenants met at a 'manorial court', with the lord of the manor (or squire), or a steward, as chairman. These courts, known as courts baron, dealt with the tenants' rights and duties, changes of occupancy, and disputes between tenants.
The fifth and last rank of the peerage is that of baron, which is ranked beneath duke, marquess, earl and viscount in precedence. Baron literally meant ‘man’, being the king’s tenant in chief (i.e. a land-holding nobleman).
18 lut 2019 · In the Middle Ages, baron was a title of honor given to any nobleman who pledged his loyalty and service to a superior in return for land that he could pass on to his heirs. The monarch was usually the superior in question, although each baron could parcel out some of his land to subordinate barons.
