Body of freeholders (8)
I believe the answer is:
yeomanry
'body of freeholders' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for yeomanry that I've seen before include "Hist. home defence volunteers" , "chaps on estates, as before" , "cavalrymen once" , "A body of smaller freeholders (hist.)" , "Old social class" .)