A burgess was a member of a medieval town inhabited by free commoners In contrast, peasants (persons living in the countryside) were attached to the land that was actually owned by the lord of the manor [Chapter 22] [Chapter 84] [II: Chapter 1]
A person who held land called a burgage in a borough The rental for the burgage and land was 12d in 1290 and the burgess may have owned more than one burgage
An inhabitant of a borough or walled town, or one who possesses a tenement therein; a citizen or freeman of a borough