chiefery

Noun

chiefery (countable and uncountable, plural chieferies)

1. The status or role of a chief; chieftainship.
   • "Then those lands in the County of Cavan which was O'Rilie's country are all holden of the King ; and because the captainship or chiefery of O'Rilie is abolished by act of Parliament by Stat. 2d of Elizabeth, and also because, two of the chief lords elected by the country have been lately slain in...1802, Sir Charles Coote, Statistical survey of the County of Cavan
   • Roderic drew all his forces against him; Dermot Mac Moroogh sent to Robert Fitz Stephens, that in all haste he should draw forces to the ayde of Donald Prince of Limirike his sonne in law, which was accordingly affected, where Roderic was foyled, lost his chiefery, and with shame enough returned to...1809, Sir James Ware, Edmund Spenser, Saint Edmund Campion, Ancient Irish Histories, page 239

   Synonyms:

   chieftainship

2. The land ruled over by a chief; chieftainship.
   • I have said that Tautira was a large and powerful chiefery on the eastern side of the peninsula Taiarapu, which was balanced by Teahupoo, another large chiefery at the southern end.1901, Henry Adams, Tahiti: Memoirs of Arii Taimai, page 23
   • There was no king, but each district or chiefery had an independent ruler who inherited under the law of primogeniture and traced his descent by a most carefully-kept genealogical system to almost incredible antiquity.1914, American Forestry - Volume 20, page 873

   Synonyms:

   chieftainship

3. The form of government in which people are ruled by a chief.
   • The conquest of new territories made it possible for the Zarma society to settle in hamlets and develop a political organization that assumed the characteristics of a chiefery.1979, Bernardo Berdichewsky, Anthropology and Social Change in Rural Areas, →ISBN, page 63
   • Charles Massi, one of his former ministers, who has become one of his fiercest opponents, declared that "Ange-Félix Patassé belongs to the school which mistakes the Presidency of the Republic for traditional chiefery.2005, African Geopolitics - Issues 17-20, page 117
4. A colonial administrative centre.
   • After dinner at the chiefery we assembled on the courtyard veranda to hear the singing of the Papara himeme chorus.1911, The Overland Monthly, page 25
   • These villages are located two or three kilometers from each chiefery or mission post.1939, Leonard Wood Memorial for the Eradication of Leprosy, International Journal of Leprosy - Volume 7, page 286
5. The leaders or chiefs of a people, collectively.
   • If, as seems certain, the Hui Arii contingent intermarried with the local chiefery, this acceptance of the gods of the land would have been inevitable.1971, Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin - Issue 79, (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 17
   • This is for certaine known, that much about this time, he, together with the chiefery, or greatest men of Ulster, by secret parleys combined in an association that they would defend the Romish religion.2003, William Camden, Britannia - Volume 1, →ISBN, page 123
6. (historical) An Irish head tax
   • By procuring his Majesty to release to several Irish papists, some whereof were deeply engaged in the horrid rebellion of that kingdom, the chiefery's or head-rents reserved to the crown, out of the forfeited estates of papists Papists there, being a principal part of his majesty's revenue in that...1741, A Collection of the Parliamentary Debates in England, from the Year 1055, page 60
   • The man did not care to be referred to Mr. Matthews; and to give some colour to his pretensions, produced three different notes, with the names of his grace's commissioners put to them, expressing that he was to pay only a chiefery out of the lands of Shragh, and directing Mr. John Bagot the...1833, John Ryan, The history and antiquities of the county of Carlow, page 201