The Collaborative International Dictionary
Subinfeudation \Sub*in`feu*da"tion\, n. (Law)
The granting of lands by inferior lords to their dependents, to be held by themselves by feudal tenure.
--Craig.-
Subordinate tenancy; undertenancy.
The widow is immediate tenant to the heir, by a kind of subinfeudation, or undertenancy.
--Blackstone.
Wiktionary
n. (context UK legal obsolete English) The practice by which tenants, holding land under the king or other superior lord, carved out new and distinct tenures in their turn by subletting or alienate a part of their lands.
Wikipedia
In English law, subinfeudation is the practice by which tenants, holding land under the king or other superior lord, carved out new and distinct tenures in their turn by sub-letting or alienating a part of their lands.
The tenants were termed mesne lords, with regard to those holding from them, the immediate tenant being tenant in capite. The lowest tenant of all was the freeholder, or, as he was sometimes termed tenant paravail. The Crown, who in theory owned all lands, was lord paramount.
The great lords looked with dissatisfaction on the increase of such subtenures. Accordingly, in 1290 a statute was passed, , which allowed the tenant to alienate whenever he pleased, but the person to whom he granted the land was to hold it for the same immediate lord, and by the same services as the alienor held it before.
Usage examples of "subinfeudation".
It was arranged at Montmirail that Geoffrey should do homage for Brittany to his brother Henry, Duke of Normandy, by which subinfeudation Louis would still retain a nominal homage for those western lands.
The reason for the system preserving for so long its specifically distinct form in Scottish conveyancing was because burgage-holding was an exception to the system of subinfeudation which remained prevalent in Scotland when it was suppressed in England.