No subject

no lands to back it up, and give it with an expectation of constant
servitude; he could also grant you a title AND lands, with perhaps an
expectation that you'll send men or money when he calls for them (or
else...).  He could also grant you a title AND lands AND amnesty from
further service.  There are some charming period patent scrolls in
Sweden that specifically exempt the holder from ever paying taxes
again-- now THERE'S an award!  See the texts here:

http://www.geocities.com/sven_noren/Patents/index-eng.html


Levels of "armigerousness" are fairly moot in the SCA; even people
without an AoA can register armory, and it will never be taken away and
given to someone else, even if you die, stop paying your membership, or
get R&Ded by the Board.  Imagine if an AoA were free membership for a
year, a grant was free membership for 5 years, and a patent was free
life membership!  Wonder how many peers we'd make...  From a purely
practical standpoint, my patent does nothing for me except add the words
"by letters patent" to my Pelican scroll; my assumption of the title and
regalia appropriate to a Pelican comes from my membership in the Order,
not from the patent, which is why it varies from one patent order to
another.  (I've always suspected that the injunction in Corpora against
giving a naked patent is there because otherwise they'd actually have to
figure out what, precisely, a patent does for you.  So beyond the
logical "you can't own more than 100%" argument, if you liken the patent
to a bag of air, why would you need more than one?)  Even in kingdoms
where patents are not automatically given to royal peers, there is
generally no difference in the title, precedence or regalia of, say, a
Viscount WITH a patent and one without, so it would make for an
interesting debate as to whether the patent confers the precedence to
the patent orders or not.


Adelaide