s. History History is vague, but there are references to the word in Medieval England in reference to a tribute or rent payment made with something other than cash. These agreements were set in English land-court with the sound of a "gavel". The gavel was also an operative tool used by medieval freemasons for finishing stones, and when they gathered in the lodge for meetings the master and wardens would rap their gavels as a symbol of order. Proper use… (More on Gavel)