The Feuars of Gifford

feu [fju:] noun

1 (Scot. legal history)

a. a feudal tenure of land for which rent was paid in money or grain and formerly by the performance of military service

b. the land so held

2 (Scots law) a right to the use of land in return for a fixed annual payment (feu duty)

[C15: from Old French; FEE]

The village of Gifford had come into being in the second half of the 17th century on land
owned by the Earl of Tweeddale.
The early inhabitants were tenants of their house until, in 1687, Andrew Frame 
a shopkeeper, feud a house and yard.

The "Feu Charter" set out the rights and obligations of the feuar.
Among those obligations was a duty to "attend" the Marquis the space of two days yearly
sufficiently mounted with horse and arms at his own expense
and another two days at the Marquis' expense.

Amongst the rights of the feuar was that he, or she, was free to graze animals upon
the owners land and to cultivate crops & gather peat and turf.
In more peaceful times the obligation to military service was usually dispensed with
in favour of a proportion of those animals or "crops".

The number of animals and the amounts of  peat & turf were written into the feuars "contract"
and could only be altered with the permission of the landowner.

Although much changed in purpose & organisation, the 'Feuars of Gifford' are still active today.
 

From "The Feuars of Gifford " by John H Simpson (Thanks to James G Simpson)