1. Monarch/King: The monarch, as the highest authority in the feudal system, claimed ultimate ownership of all land within his realm. However, the actual control and use of land were granted to various individuals and entities through various arrangements.
2. Nobles/Lords: The nobility held significant portions of land as fiefs or estates granted to them by the monarch in return for military service, administrative duties, and other forms of support. These nobles often had manorial estates where peasants lived and worked.
3. Religious Institutions: The Church played a substantial role as a landowner. Monasteries, abbeys, and other religious institutions acquired vast amounts of land through donations from the nobility, monarchs, and wealthy individuals seeking salvation.
4. Knights and Vassals: Knights and other vassals received land grants from their feudal lords in return for military service, protection, and loyalty. These grants could include both land for farming and fortified structures for defense.
5. Peasants: While peasants did not own land in the strict sense, they had certain rights and obligations tied to the land they worked on. They were usually bound to the land of a particular manor and owed various forms of labor and payments (such as rent or corvée) to the lord in exchange for access to land and protection.
6. Freeholders: A relatively small group of people held land as freehold, meaning they had full ownership rights without owing feudal obligations to a lord. These freeholders could transfer, sell, or inherit their land without seeking permission from a higher authority.
7. Communal Lands: Some areas, such as forests, pastures, and common grazing grounds, were shared by the community and not subject to individual ownership. Villagers had customary rights to utilize these communal resources for various purposes.
It's worth noting that land ownership was a complex matter influenced by regional variations, legal customs, and changes over time. The relationships between landowners and those working the land varied based on local practices and the power dynamics within each region.