seniory

English

Alternative forms

• seigniorie, seignorie (both obsolete)

Noun

seniory (countable and uncountable, plural seniories)

1. (obsolete) Position as lord, lordship; primacy.
   • c. 1506, Margaret Beaufort (translator), The mirroure of golde for the synfull soule by Denis the Carthusian, London: Richard Pynson, “Of the vayne Ioye might dignite honours and riches of the worlde,”^[1]

     Beholde where is nowe the glorye of kynge assurey: whiche behelde vnder his seignorie and dominacion: the nombre of .xxvi. prouincis

   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     If ancient sorrow be most reverend,
     Give mine the benefit of seniory,
     And let my woes frown on the upper hand.

   • 1638, Thomas Herbert, Some Yeares Travels into Divers Parts of Asia and Afrique, London: Jacob Blome & Richard Bishop, Book 1, “The History of the great Mogull,” p. 66,^[2]

     […] the great Mogull […] perceiving Cassimeer interposing and not under him, sends Ally Mirza in Ambassie to Iustoff-cawn (a fearefull King) that if hee would with his sonne forthwith come to Lahore and do homage to him, he should re-accept his seniory and his best power at all times to defend him […]

2. (obsolete) The territory of a lord, dominion.
   • 1565, Arthur Golding, “To the Reader”, in The Eight Bookes of Caius Iulius Cæsar‎^[3], London: William Seres:

     […] Charles kynge of Fraunce surnamed the great, toke Desiderius laste kinge of Lombardes prisoner and annexed his seniory to the dominion of Fraunce.

   • 1584, Barnabe Rich, transl., The Famous Hystory of Herodotus‎^[4], London: Thomas Marshe, Book 1, p. 61:

     The seigniorie also and principality of this part (which the Persians call a Satrapy, that is, a Dutchy or Countey) doth in great measure exceede all other prouinces that are vnder the protection of the great King.

3. (obsolete) Collectively, the lords of a region.
   • 1599, Laurence Aldersey, “The first voyage or iourney, made by Master Laurence Aldersey, Marchant of London, to the Cities of Ierusalem, and Tripolis, &c. In the yeere 1581”, in Richard Hakluyt, editor, The principal nauigations, voyages, traffiques and discoueries of the English nation‎^[5], volume 2, London: George Bishop, et al, page 151:

     […] if any man bring a letter vnto him, hee may not open it, but in the presence of the Seigniorie, and they are to see it first, which being read, perhaps they will deliuer it to him, perhaps not.

   • 1625, “The Relation of NUNNO di GUSMAN written to CHAREES the fift Emperour; translated out of RAMUSIOS third Tome, and abridged”, in Samuel Purchas, transl., Purchas His Pilgrimes‎^[6], volume 4, London: Henry Fetherstone, page 1558:

     The Seniory of that Prouince (for they had no particular Lord) sent Messengers that they expected mee in peace, and would giue mee what I would […]