The term 'Medieval Estates' refers to the three main social classes of the Middle Ages: the nobility, the clergy, and the peasantry. Manors were the estates of the nobility, which were large tracts of land that were self-sufficient and had their own courts and laws. The clergy owned monasteries, which were religious communities that provided education and charity. The peasantry were the lowest class, and they worked the land of the nobility and the clergy.