Thirlage

Thirlage was a feudal servitude in Scotland and parts of Northern England, obligating tenants to have their grain ground at the landlord's mill. This meant tenants were legally bound to take all the grain produced on their lands to the landlord's mill (the "thirl" or "soke mill") to be ground into flour.

The system was based on the landlord owning the rights to all milling within a specific area, known as the "sucken." Tenants within the sucken were called "multurers" and were required to pay a fee, known as "multure," for the service. This multure was typically a proportion of the grain itself, effectively a tax in kind.

Thirlage was often deeply unpopular among tenants, as landlords could exploit their monopoly by charging excessive multure, providing poor service, or using outdated or inefficient milling equipment. It created significant power imbalances and resentment. There were often disputes regarding the quality of the milling, the accuracy of the measurements, and the cleanliness of the mill.

The abolition of feudal tenure in Scotland, beginning with the Feudal Abolition Act of 2000 and continuing with subsequent legislation, largely eliminated thirlage. While some vestiges might theoretically remain in certain archaic deeds, the practical and legal enforcement of thirlage is now considered obsolete. The system is largely a historical curiosity, representing a significant aspect of Scottish land tenure and its eventual reform.