What is barronies?

Barronies, also known as baronies, were administrative divisions in medieval England and Ireland. They were territories that were granted to barons by the king or other nobles as a reward for their loyal service.

In England, barronies were areas of land that were given to barons in exchange for military service and other forms of support. These territories were often comprised of several hundred or thousand acres and included towns, villages, and other settlements. The baron was responsible for maintaining law and order within his barrony, as well as providing military support to the king in times of war.

In Ireland, barronies were similar to the English system, but they were more focused on land ownership and tax collection. The barons held the rights to collect taxes from the local population within their barronies and were responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the law.

Today, barronies still exist in Ireland as a census unit used by the Central Statistics Office for demographic purposes. They are no longer used as administrative divisions in either England or Ireland.