yeomanry

noun

Etymology: From Middle English ȝemanry, yemandry, yema[n]ri, yemanrye, yomandrye, yomanry; equivalent to yeoman + -ry.

1. A class of small freeholders who cultivated their own land.

   “The enfranchised yeomanry began to feel an instinct for dominion.”

2. A British volunteer cavalry force organized in 1761 for home defense and later incorporated into the Territorial Army.