In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order.
The word derives from French commanderie or commenderie, from mediaeval Latin commendaria or commenda, meaning 'a trust or charge', originally one held in commendam.
The word is also applied to the emoluments granted to a commander of a military order of knights.
[2] A commandry of the Teutonic Knights, each headed by a Komtur, was known as a Komturei or Kommende.
[dubious – discuss] In 1540, the possessions in England of the Knights Hospitaller — the commanderies to which the English term first referred — were seized as crown property.