the Kings Debts Apparances and for observing of Orders also he takes all Obligations for any of the Kings Debts for Apparances and observing of Orders and makes out Process upon them for the breaking of them The Lord Treasurers Remembrancer makes out Process against all Sheriffs Escheators receivers and Bailiffs for their Accounts he makes the Process of Fieri sacias and Exteut for any Debts due to the King either in the Pipe or with the Auditors and he makes Process for all such revenue as is due to the King by reason of his Tenures The Remembrancer of the First Fruits takes all Compositions for First fruits and Tenths and makes Process against such as pay not the same Of these Officers see more in Dalton's Book of the Office and Authority of Sheriffs f. 186. Remitter REmitter is when a man hath two Titles to any Land and he comes to the Land by the tast Title yet he shall be judged in by force of his elder Title and that shall be said to him a Remitter As if Tenant in tail discontinue the Tail and after disseises his discontinuee and dies thereof seised and the Lands discend to his issue or Cousin inheritable by force of the Tail in that case he is in his Remitter that is to say seised by force of the Tail and the Title of the Discontinuee is utterly adnulled and defeated And the reason and cause of such Remitter is for that such an Heir is Tenant of the Land and there is no person Tenant against whom he may sue his Writ of Formedon to recover the Estate tail for he may not have an Action against himself Also if Tenant in tail infeoff his Son or Heir apparent who is within age and after dies that is a Remitter to the Heir but if he were full of age at the time of such Feoffment it is no Remitter because it was his folly that he being of full age would take such a Feoffment If the Husband alien Lands that he hath in right of his wife and after take an Estate again to him and to his Wife for term of their lives that is a Remitter to the Woman because this Alienation is the act of the Husband and not of the Woman for no folly may be adjudged in the Woman during the life of her Husband But if such Alienation be by Fine in Court of Record such a taking again afterward to the Husband and Wife for term of their lives shall not make the Woman to be in her Remitter for that in such a Fine the Woman shall be examined by the Iudge and such Examination in Fines shall exclude such women for ever Also when the Entry of any man is lawful and he takes an Estate to him when he is of full age if it be not by Deed indented or matter of Record which shall estop him that shall be to him a good Remitter Rents REnts are of divers kinds that is Rent-service Rent-charge and Rent-secke Rent-service is where the Tenant in Fee-simple holds his Land of his Lord by Fealty and certain Rent or by other service and rent and theu if the rent be behind the Lord may distrain but shall not have an Action of Debt for it Also if I give Land in tail to a man paying to me certain Rent that is Rent-service But in such case it behoves that the reversion be in the Donor For if a man make a Feoffment in fee or a Gift in tail the remainder over in Fee without Deed reserving to him a certain rent such reservation is void and that is by the Statute Quia emprores terrarum and then he shall hold of the Lord of whom his Donour held But if a man by Deed indented at this day make such Gift in tail the remainder over in fee or lease for term of life the remainder over or a Feoffment and by the same Indenture reserve to him rent and that if the rent be behind it shall be lawful for him to distrain that is Rent-chage But in such case if there be no clause of Distress in the Deed then such a rent is called Rent-seck for which he shall never distrain but if he were once seised he shall have Assise and if he were not seised he is without remedy And if one grant a rent going out of his Land with clause of Distress that is a Rēt-charge and if the rent be behind the Grantee may chuse to distrain or sue a Writ of Annuity but he cannot have both for if he bring a Writ of Annuity then the Land is discharged And if he destrain and avow the taking in Court of Record then the Land is charged and the person of the Grantor discharged Also if one grant a Rent charge and the Grantee-purchases half or any other part or parcel of the Land all the Rent is extinct But in Rent service if the Lord purchase parcel of the Land the Rent shall be apportioned If one hath a Rent charge and his Father purchase parcel of the Land and that parcel discends to the Son who hath the Rent charge then the Rent shall be apportioned according to the value of the Land as it is said of Rent-service because the Son comes to that not by his own act but by discent Also if I make a Lease for term of years reserving to me a certain Rent that is called a Rent service for which it is at my liberty to distrain or to have an Action of Debt but if the Lease be determined and the Rent behind I cannot distrain but shall be put to my Action of Debt And note well that if the Lord be seised of the Service and Rent aforesaid and they be behind and he distrain and the Tenant rescues the Distress he may have Assise or a Writ of Rescous but it is not more necessary for him to have Assise then a Writ of Rescous for that by Assise he shall recover his Rent and his Dammages but by a Writ of Rescous he shall recover only Dammages and the thing distrained shall be reprised If the Lord be not seised of the Rent and Service and they be behind and he distrain for them and the Tenant take again the Distress he shall not have Assise but a Writ of Rescous and the Lord shall not need to shew his right If the Lord cannot find a Distress in two years he shall have against the Tenant a Writ of Cessavit per biennium as it appears by the Statute of Westm 2. cap. 21. And if the Tenant die in the mean time and his Issue enter the Lord shall have against the Issue a Writ of Entry upon Cessavit or if the Tenant alien the Lord shall have against the Alienee the foresaid Writ But if the Lord have Issue and die and the Tenant be in arrearages of the said Rent and Service in the time of the Father and not in the time of the Issue he may not distrain for the Arrearages in the time of
the Law gives much credit and authority to Coroners Corporation Corporation is a permanent thing that may have succession And it is an Assembly and joyning together of many into one Fellowship Brotherhood and mind whereof one is Head and chief the rest are the Body and this Head and Body knit together make the Corporation And of Corporations some are Spiritual some Temporal and of Spiritual some are Corporations of dead persons in Law and some otherwise and some are by authority of the King only and some have been of a mixt authority And of those that are Temporal some are by the authority of the King also and some by the Common Law of the Realm Corporation Spiritual and of dead persons in the Law is where the Corporation consists of an Abbot and Covent which had beginning of the King and the Pope when he had to do here Corporation Spiritual and of able persons in Law is where the Corporation consists of a Dean and Chapter Master of a Colledge or Hospital and this Corporation had beginning of the King only Corporation Temporal by the King is where there is a Mayor and Commonalty Corporation Temporal by authority of the Common Law is the Assembly in Parliament which consists of the King the Head of the Corporation the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons of the Realm the Body of the Corporation Bodies politick BOdies politick are Bishops Abbots Priors Deans Parsons of Churches and such like which have succession in one person only If land be given to a Maior and Commonalty for their lives they have an Estate by intendment not determinable So it is if a Feoffment be made of land to a Dean and Chapter without speaking of Successors Release of a Mayor for any summ of money due to the Corporation in his own name is not good in Law In case of a sole Corporation or Body politick as Bishop Parson Vicar Master of Hospital c. no Chattel either in action or possession shall go in succession but the Executors or Administrators of the Bishop Parson c. shall have them for Succession in a Body politick is as Inheritance in case of a body private But otherwise is in case of a Corporation composed of many as a Dean and Chapter Mayor and Commonalty and such like for there they in judgement of the Law never die Yet the case of the Chamberlain of London differs from all these and his Successors may in his own name have Execution of a Recognisance acknowledged to his Predecessor for Orphanagemoney and the reason is because in this case the Corporation of the Chamberlain is by Custome and the same Custome that hath created him and made a Corporation in Succession as to the said special purpose concerning Orphanage hath enabled the Successor to take such Recognisances Obligations c. that are made to his Predecessor And this Custom is founded upon great reason for the Executors or Administrators of the Chamberlain ought not to intermeddle with such Recognisances Obligations c. which by the said Custom are taken in the corporate capacity of the Chamberlain and not in his private But a Bishop Parson c. or any sole Corporation that are Bodies politick by prescription cannot take a Recognisance or Obligation but only to their private and not in their politick capacity for they want Custome to take a Chattel in their politick or corporate capacity Corpus cum Causa or Habeas Corpus COrpus cum Causa is a Writ issuing out of the Chancery to remove both the body and the Record of the Cause of any man lying in Execution upon a Iudgement for Debt into the Kings Bench c. there to lie till he have satisfied the Iudgement Fitzh Nat. Brev. fol. 251. e. It lies also to remove any Action from inferiour Courts of Record into any of the 3 Courts in Westm Corruption of Blood COrruption of Blood is when any one is attainted of Felony or Treason then his Bloud is said to be corrupt by means whereof neither his children nor any of his bloud can be heirs to him or to any other Ancestor for which they ought to claim by him And if he were a Noble or Gentleman before he and all his children are made thereby ignoble and ungentle having regard to the Nobility or Gentry they claim by their father which cannot be restored by the Kings Grant without authority of Parliament But if the King will pardon the offendor it will cleanse the corruption of the Blood of those children which are born after the Pardon and they may inherit the land of their Ancestor purchased at the time of the Pardon or afterwards but so cannot they who were born before the Pardon Also he that is attainted of Treason or Felony shall not be heir to his father but this disability shall hinder others to be heir so that during his life the land shall rather escheat to the Lord of the Fee then discend to another But if he who is attainted dies without issue of his body during the life of his Ancestor then his younger Brother Sister or Cousin shall inherit for if the eldest Son be hanged or abjure the Realm for Felony during the life of the Father it is no impediment but that the youngest Son may inherit 27 Edw. 3. c. 77. And if he who is attaint of Treason or Felony in the life of his Ancestor purchase the Kings Pardon before the death of his Ancestor yet he shall not be Heir to the said Ancestor but the Land shall rather escheat to the Lord of the Fee by the Corruption of bloud 26 Ass pla 2. But if the eldest son be a Clerk convict in the life of his Father and after his Father dies in this case he shall inherit his Fathers Land because he was not attainted of Felony for by the Common Law he should inherit after he had made his Purgation And now by the Statute of 18 El. cap. 6. he shall be forthwith enlarged after burning in the hand and delivered out of prison and not committed to the Ordinary to make his Purgation but he is in the same case as if he had made his Purgation If a man that hath Land in right of his wife hath issue and his Bloud is corrupt by Attainder of Felony and the King pardons him in this case if the wife dies before him he shall not be Tenant by the courtesse for the corruption of the blood of that issue But it is otherwise if he hath issue after the Pardon for then he shall be Tenant although the issue which he had before the Pardon be not inheritable 13 H. 7. c. 17. If a man seised of Land hath issue two sons and the eldest is attainted in the life of his Father of Felony and therefore executed or otherwise dies during the life of his Father and after the Father dies seised the Land shall descend to the youngest son as Heir unto his Father if
satisfied but with the death of the enemy such is that amongst the people in Scotland and in the Northern parts of England which is a Combination of all the Kindred to revenge the death of any of the Blood upon the Slayer and all his race And this word is mentioned in the Stat. of 43 Eliz. c. 13. Fieri facias FIeri facias is a Writ judicial and lies where a â—â— an recovers Debt or Da â—â— nages in the Kings Court 〈◊〉 a he shall have this Writ to the Sheriff commanding him that he levy the Debt and Dammages of the goods of him against whom the Recovery is had and it lies only within a year and a day and after the year he must sue a Scire facias and if the party be warned and doth not come at the day c. or if he come and can say nothing then he who recovers shall have a Writ of Fieri facias directed to the Sheriff that he make Execution of Iudgment But if a man recover against a woman and she takes a husband within the year and the day then he that recovers must have a Scire facias against the husband So it is if an Abbot or Prior recover and die his Successor within the year shall have a Scire facias See thereof more in the Title Scire facias and Title Execution There is also another manner of Fieri facias against a Rector where upon a general Fieri facias the Sheriff returns quod nulla habet bona seu catalla and thereupon a Writ is directed to the Bishop of the Diocess where he is Rector and thereupon the Bishop levies the Debt of the Profits of the Gleab Tithes of the Rectory Fifteenth FIfteent â— See Quinzisme F â— lazer FIlazer of the French word Filace id est a Thread is the name of an Officer in the Common Pleas of which there are 14. They make dut all the Original Process there and the Distress infinite upon Summons returned in personal Actions and the Capias upon the return of Nihil and all Writs of View in cases where the View is prayed And where the Appearance is with them they enter the Impariance and the general Issue in common Actions and Iudgments by Confession before Issue joyned and make out Writs of Execution upon them And they make Writs of Supersedeas after a Capias awarded when the Defendant appears in their Office And this Officer is mentioned in the Statutes of 10 H 6. c. 4. 18 H. 6. c. 9. File FIle Filacium is a Thread or Wire upon which Writs and other Exhibits in Courts are put for the safer keeping of them together Finders FInders is a word used in many Statutes as in 14 R. 2. c. 10. 17 R. 2. c. 5. 1 H. 4 c. 13. and 31 H. 6. c. 5. and seems to be all one with those Officers which we now call Searchers imployed for the discovery of Goods which are imported or exported without paying Custom Fine FIne sometimes is taken for a Sum of money which one is to pay to the King for any Contempt or Offence which Fine every one that commits any Trespass or is convict that he falsly denies his own Deed or did any thing in contempt of Law shall pay to the King which is called Fine to the King Sometime a Fine is taken for a Final Agreement which is had between any persons concerning any Land or Rent or other thing whereof any Suit or Writ is between them hanging in any Court which may be divers ways One is when any party acknowledges that to be the right of the other as that he hath of the Gift of him that made the Recognizance which always supposes a Feoffment going before and is called a Fine executed Or if he acknowledged that to be the right of another omitting these words coÌ„e ceo que il eit de son Done this being a Fine upon acknowledging of â— ight only if it be levied to him which hath the Freehold of the Land is a Fine upon a Release If he that acknowledged it is seised and he to whom it is levied hath not the Free-hold of the Land then it is called a Fine executory which he to whom the Land is acknowledged may execute by Entry or Scire facias Sometime such a Fine Sur conusance de droit only is to make a Surrender wherein is rehearsed that the Reconusor hath an Estate for life and the other a Reversion Sometime it is taken to pass a Reversion where a particular Estate is recited to be in another and that the Reconusor will that the other shall have the Reversion or that the Land shall remain to another after the particular Estate spent And sometime he to whom the right is acknowledged as that which he hath of the Gift of the Reconusor shall yield the Land or a Rent out thereof to the Conusor And that sometime for the whole Fee sometime for one particular Estate with Remainder or Remainders over and sometime with Reversion of Rents with Distress and Grant thereof over by the said Fine It is called a Fine because thereby the Suit is ended and if it be recorded with Proclamation according to the Statute 4 H. 7. it bars Strangers Fine force FIne force signifies an absolute Necessity as when a man is compelled to do that which he can no way avoid we say he doth it de Fine force So this word is used in Perk. sect 321. in Mantel and Woodlands Case in Plowden f. 94. b. and in Eatons Case cited in Foxly's Case in the 6 Rep. f. 111. a. Finors FInors are those that purifie Gold and Silver and part them by fire and water from courser Metals and therefore in the Statute of 4 H. 7. c. 2. they are also called Parters Fire-bote FIre-bote is necessary Wood to burn which by the Common Law Lessee for years or for life may take in his Ground although it be not expressed in his Lease and although it be a Lease by Word only without Writing But if he take more then is needful he shall be punished in Waste First-fruits FIrst-fruits Primitiae are the Profits of every Spiritual Living for a year which were anciently given to the Pope but by the Statute of 26 H. 8. â— 3. are now transferred to the King Fledwite FLedwite is to be quit from Amerciaments when an outlawed Fugitive comes to the Kings Peace of his own will or being licensed Flemeswite FLemeswite is that you may have the Cattel or Amerciaments of your Fugitive man Fletwit FLetwit or Flitwit is to be quit from Contention and Convicts and that you may have a Plea thereof in your Court and the Amerciaments for Flit in English is Treason in French Floatsam FLoatsam or Flotson is when a Ship is sunk or otherwise perished and the Goods float upon the Sea and they are given to the Lord Admiral by his Letters Patents See Cok. lib. 5. fol. 106. Fold Fould-course FOld Fould-course
In Latine Falda Faldae Is Common for Sheep See Shack. Co. Ent. 14 15. Coke 8. Rep. 125. 1 Cro. Rep. Spooner and Day Folkmoot FOlkmoot signifies according to Lambert in his Exposition of Saxon words two kinds of Courts one now called the County Court the other the Sheriffs Tourne And in London it signifies at this day celebrem ex omni Civitate ConventuÌ„ Stows Survey Footgeld FOotgeld is an Amerciament for not cutting out the Balls of great Dogs feet in the Forrest for which see Expeditate And to be quit of Footgeld is a priviledge to keep Dogs within the Forrest unlawed without punishment or controll Cromp. Jurisd fol. 197. Manwood part 1. pag. 86. Forcible Entry FOrcible Entry is a Violent actual Entry into House or Land or taking a Distress weaponed whether he offer Violence or no. West part 2. Symb. tit Inditements Sect. 65. Forest or Forrest FOrest is a place priviledged by Royal Authority or by Prescription for the peaceable abiding and nourishment of the Beasts or Birds of the Forrest for disport of the King For which there have been in ancient time certain peculiar Officers Laws and Orders part of which appear in the great Charter of the Forrest Forester FOrester is an Officer of the Forest sworn to preserve the Vert and Venison of the Forest to attend upon the wild Beasts within his Bailywick to watch and keep them safe by day and by night to apprehend all Offenders there in Vert or Venison and to present them at the Courts of the Forest to the end they may be punished according to their Offences Forfeiture of Marriage FOrfeiture of Marriage was a Writ that lay for the Lord by Knights Service against his Ward who refused a convenient Marriage offered him by his Lord and married another within age without the assent of his Lord. And see for this Fitz. N. B. fol. 141. g. c. Forger of false Deeds FOrger of false Deeds comes of the French word Forger which signifies to Frame or fashion a thing as the Smith doth his work upon his Anvil And it is used in our Law for the Fraudulent making and publishing of false Writings to the prejudice of another mans right Fitz. in his F. N. B. f. 96. B. C. says that a Writ of Deceit lies against him that thus forges any Deed. Forjudger FOrjudger is a Iudgment given in a Writ of Mesne brought by a Tenant against a Mesne Lord who should acquit the Tenant of Services demanded by the Lord above of whom the Tenement is holden and the Mesne will not appear then Iudgment shall be given that the Mesne Lord shall lose his Seignory and that the Tenant from thenceforth shall hold of the Lord above by such Su â—â— as the Mesne held before and shall be discharged of the Services which he yielded to the Mesne by the Statute of Westm 2. ca. 9. which is called a Forjudger Also if an Attorney or other Officer in any Court be put out and forbidden to use the same he is said to be forjudged the Court. Formedon FOrmedon is a Writ that lies where Tenant in tail infeoffs a Stranger or is disseised and dies his Heir shall have a Writ of Formedon to recover the Land But there are three manner of Formedons One is in the Discender and that is in the case before said And if one give Land in the taile and for default of Issue the Remainder to another in the taile and that for default of such Issue the Land shall revert to the Donor if the first Tenant in tail die without Issue he in the Remainder shall have a Formedon in the Remainder But if the Tenant in the tail die without Issue and he in the Remainder also die without Issue then the Donor or his heirs shall have a Formedon in the Reverter Forrein FOrrein is a word adjectively used and joyned with divers Substantives as Forrein matter triable in another County Pl. Cor. 154 or matter done in another County Kitch fol. 126. Forrein Plea is a refusal of the Iudge as incompetent because the matter in hand was not within his Precincts Kitch fol. 75. Anno 4 H. 8. cap. 2. Anno 22 ejusdem cap. 2. 14. Forrein Answer is such an Answer as is not triable in the County where it is made Anno 15 H. 6 cap. 5. Forrein Service is such Service whereby a Mean Lord holds over of another without the compass of his own Fee Bro. tit Tenures fol. 251. num 12. 28. and Kitch fol. 209. Or else that which a Tenant performs either to his own Lord or to the Lord above him out of the Fee For of such Services Bracton lib. 2. cap. 16. num 7. speaks thus Also there are certain Services which are called Forrein though they be named and express'd in the Charter of Feoffment and may therefore be called Forrein because they appertain to our Lord the King and not to the chief Lord unless when he goes in Service in Person or that he satisfies our Lord the King for the Service by some kind of means and they are performed at certain times when occasion and necessity require and they have divers sundry names For sometime they are called Forrein the word taken largely as to the Kings Service somtime Escuage somtime Service of the King and it may therefore be called Forrein because it is done and taken without or beside Service done to the Lord Paramount See Broke Tenures 28 95. Forrein Service seems to be Knights Service or Escuage uncertain Perkins sect 650. Forrein Attachment is an Attachment of the Goods of Forreiners within any Liberty or City for the satisfaction of any Citizen to whom the said Forreigner owes money Forrein Apposer is an Officer in the Exchequer to whom all Sheriffs and Bailiffs do repair by him to be apposed of their Green wax And from thence he draws down a charge upon the Sheriff or Bailiff to the Clerk of the Pipe Forsechoke FOrsechoke seems to signifie as much as Forsaken in our modern Language It is especially used Anno 10 Edw. 1. cap. unico for Lands or Tenements seised by the Lord for want of Services due from his Tenant and so quietly held and possessed beyond the year and day Forestaller FOrestaller is he that buys Corn Cattel or other Merchandize whatsoever by the way as it comes to Markets Fairs or such like places to be sold to the intent to sell the same again at a more high and dear price in prejudice of the Common-wealth and people c. The pain for such as are convict thereof is for the first time two months Imprisonment and loss of the value of the thing sold The second time Imprisonment by the space of half a year and loss of double value of the Goods c. The third time Imprisonment during the Kings pleasure and Iudgment of the Pillory and to forfeit all his Goods and Chattels See the Statute 5 Ed. 6. cap. 14.
have any real or personal Action concerning land but in every such Action the Tenant or Defendant may plead that he was born in such a place which is not within the Kings liegeance and demand judgment if he shall be answered Every alien friend may by the Common Law have and get within this realm by gift trade or other lawful ways any treasure or personal goods whatsoever as well as any Englishman and may maintain any Action for the same But Land within this realm or houses if not for their dwelling only Alien friends connot have nor get nor maintain any Action real or personal for any Land or House unless the House be for their necessary dwelling An Alien enemy cannot maintain any Action nor get any thing within this Realm And the reasons why aliens born are not capable of inheritance within England are 1. The Secrets of the Realm may by this be discovered 2. The Revenues of the Realm shall be taken and injoyed by Strangers born 3. This will tend to the destruction of the Realm First in the time of war for then Strangers may fortifie themselves in the heart of the Realm and set in combustion the Common-wealth Secondly in the time of peace for by such means many Aliens born may get a great part of the Inheritance and free-hold of the Realm by which there would ensue a want of Iustice the supporter of the Common-wealth for this that Aliens cannot be returned of Iuries nor sworn for the tryal of Issues between the King and Subject or between Subject and Subject Vide Coke lib. 7. Calvins Case Alienation ALienation is as much to say as to make a thing another mans or to alter or put the possession of Lands or other things from one man to another And in some cases a man hath power in himself so to do without the assent or licence of any other and in some not As if Tenant in chief alien his estate without the Kings licence then by the St. of 1 Ed. 3. c. 12. a reasonadle Fine shall be taken where at the Common Law before the said St. the Lands and tenements held in chief of the K. and aliened without licence have been held forfeited And if the K's Tenant that holds in chief intended to alien unto C. to the use of D. and hereupon if he purchase Licence to alien to C. and accordingly aliens to C. to the use of D. which use is not mentioned in the Licence in this case he shall pay but one Fiue for it is but one Alienation Coke lib. 6 fol. 28. But if a man will alien Lands in Fee-simple to an House of Religion or to a body incorporate it behoves him to have the Kings Licence to make this Grant or Alienation and the chief Lords of whom such lands are held c. otherwise the land so alienated in Mortmain shall be forfeited by the Statute of 15 R. 2. cap. 5. Allay ALlay is the Temper or mixture of Gold and Silver with baser metal for the increasing the weight of it so much as might countervail the Kings charge in the coyning This word is used in the Statute of 9 H. 5. cap. 11. for the payment of English Gold by the Kings weight Almner ALmner is an Officer of the Kings house whose Office is to distribute the Kings Alms every day and to that purpose he hath the collecting of all Forfeitures of Deodands and of the goods of Felons de se which the King allows him to dispose in Alms to the poor And of his Office see Flets lib. 2. cap. 22. Almoin ALmoin See Aumone Alnager ALnager is an Officer of the Kings who by himself or by his Deputy looks to the Assise of all Cloth made of Wool throughout the Land and to put a Seal for that purpose ordained unto them 35 E. 3. Stat. 4. c. 1. Anno 3. R. 2. c. 2. And he is to be accomptable to tae King for every Cloth that is so sealed in a Fee or Custom hppertaining to it Altarage ALtarage in Latin Altaragium signifie Duties and Offerings to holy Altars mention'd 2 Cro. Rep. 516. that a Vicarage was endowed with it and small Tythes Ambidexter AMbidexter is he that when a matter is in suit between men takes money of the one side and of the other either to labour the Suit or such like or if he be of the Iury to give his Verdict Amendment AMendment is When Error is in the Process the Iustices may amend it after Iudgment But if there be Error in giving Iudgment they may not amend it but the party is put to his Writ of Error And in many cases where the default appears in the Clerks that writ the Record it shall be amended but such things as come by information of the party as the Town Mystery and such like shall not be amended for he must inform true upon his peril Amercement AMercement most properly is a Penalty assessed by the Peers or equals of the party amerced for an offence done as for want of Suit of Court or for not amending someting that he was appointed to redress by a certain time before or for such like cause in which case the party who offends puts himself in the mercy of the King or Lord and thereupon this Penalty is called Amerciament And there is a difference between Amerciaments and Fines Kitch 214. For Fines are Punishments certain which grow expressy from some Statute and Amerciaments are such which are arbitrarity imposed by the Affeerors which Kitchin seems to confirm fol â— 8. in these words The Amerciament is affeered by Equals Also it appears Coke lib. 8. fol. 39. That a Fine is always imposed and assessed by the Court but Amerciament which is called in Latin Misericordia is assessed by the Country Another diversity there is as if a man be convict before the Sheriff of the County of a Recaption he shall be only amerced but if he be convict of this in the Common Bench he shall be fined And the reason of this diversity is That the County Court is not a Court of Record and therefore cannot impose a Fine for no Court can impose a Fine but such a Court as is of Record Cok. lib. 8. fol. 41. a. If the Defendant or Tenant plead a false Deed to him or deny his own Deed and this is found against him or he leaving his own Verification acknowledges the Action he shall be fined for his falsity because we ought to be sure of our own Acts. But if one deny the Deed of his Ancestor and this is found against him yet he shall not be fined but amerced only because it was the act of a Stranger Co. lib. 8. fol. 60. a. see more there Amercement royal AMercement royal is when a Sheriff Coroner or other such Officer of the King is amerced by the Iustices for his abuse in the Office Learn if it should not be called a Fine Amoveas manus AMoveas manus See Ouster le
by Service to pay to his Lord yearly at such a Feast an Horse an Hawk a Rose a Cherry or such like there if the Lord purchase parcel of the land this Service is gone absolutely because an Horse an Hawk a Rose a Cherry and such other cannot be divided or apportioned without damage to the whole In some cases Rent-charge shall be apportioned as if a man hath a Rent-charge issuing out of Land and his Father purchases parcel of the Lands charged in fee and dies and this parcel descends to his son who hath the Rent-charge there this charge shall be apportioned according to the value of the land because such portion of the Land purchased by the Father comes not to the son by his own act but by descent and course of Law Common appendant is of a common right and severable and although the Commoner in such case purchase parcel of the Land wherein the Common is appendant yet the Common shall be apportioned but in this case Common appurtenant and not appendant by such purchase is extinct Coke lib. 8. fol. 79. Appropriations APpropriations were when those Houses of Religion and those religious persons as Abbots Priors and such like had the Advowson of any Parsonage to them and their Successors and obtained licence of the Pope Ordinary and King that they themselves and their Successors from thenceforth should be Parsons there and that it should be from thanceforth a Vicarage and the Vicar should serve the Cure And so at the beginning Appropriations were made only to those persons Spiritual that could administer the Sacraments and say divine Service as Abbots Priors Deans and such like After by little and little they were enlarged and made to others as namely to a Dean and Chapter which is a Body corporate consssting of many which Body together could not say divine Service and which was more to Nuns that were Prioresses of some Nunnery which was a wicked thing in regard that they could neither administer Sacraments nor preach nor say divine Service to the Parishioners And all this was upon pretence of Hospitality and maintenance thereof And to supply these defects a Vicar was devised who should be Deputy to the Priors or to the Dean and Chapter and also at the last to the said Abbots and others to say divine Service and should have for his labour but a little portion and they to whom the Appropriations were made should retain the greater revenues and they did nothing for it by means whereof Hospitality decayed in the place where it ought to have been chiefly maintained namely in the Parish where the Benefice was and where the profits grew and so it continues to this day if not worse since not only Friers and Nuns but Lay-men and seculer women are possessed of them to the great hinderance of Learning impoverishment of the Ministry and infamy of the Gospel and professors thereof The Vicar shall have a certain portion of the Benefice and the Abbot and the Covent shall be Parsons and shall have the other profits This is called Appropriation and then the Abbot and Covent shall be Parsons emparsonees but such Appropriation may not be made to begin in the life of the Parson without his assent And after the Church was appropriated then was it an incident inseparable to the House of Religion to which it was so appropriated And therefore where the Lands of the Templars in England were given by the general words of an Act of Parliament of 17 E. 2. to the Hospitallers it was adjudged That the Hospitaliers by the said Act should not have the Appropriation for it was inseparably annexed to the Corporation of the Templars which thing consisting in an inseparable privity by the general words of an Act of Parliament shall not be transferred to others Coke lib. 7. fol. 13. a. But if such Advowsons of the Parsonage be recovered by ancient Title then the Appropriation is adnulled And it is called Appropriation for that they hold the profits to their own proper use Approvement APprovement is where a man hath Common in the Lords waste ground and the Lord incloses part of the Waste for himself leaving nevertheless sufficient Common with egress and regress for the Commâ—ners This inclosing is called Approvement See Reg. Jud. fol. 8 9. Approver APprover or Appellor is he who hath committed some Felony which he confesses and now appeals or approves that is accuses others who were Coadjuters or Helpers with him in doing the same or other Felonies which thing he will approve And this proof is to be either by Battel or by the Countrey at his election that appealed This accusation is often done defore the Coroner who either is assigned to the Felon by the Court to take and record that which he saith or is called by the Felon himself and required for the good of the Prince and Common wealth to record that which he shall say The Oath of the Approver when he begins the combate as also the Proclamation by the Heraulds appear in Crompt pag. ult If a man of good fame be appealed by an Approver by which he is taken and kept in prison yet he may have a Writ to be directed to the Sheriff commanding him to suffer the party appealed to be bailed by good Sureties But if a man appealed by an Approver be kept in prison and afterwards the Approver dies there he may sue a Writ directed to the Sheriff to suffer him to be bailed upon good Surety if he be not a notorious Felon although he be not of good fame Fitz. N. B. 250. d. The Kings Approvers THE Kings Approvers are those that have the letting of the Kings Demeans in small Mannors for the Kings greater advantage And for such Approvers you may read in the Stat. 2 E. 3. c. 12. that they were men s â— nt into divers Countries to increase the Farms of Hundreds and Wapentakes And you may see in the Statute made in 1 E. 3. c. 8. that the Sheriffs call themselves the Kings Approvers Arbitrement ARbitrement is an award Determination or Iudgement which one or more makes at the request of two parties at the least for and upon some Debt Trespass or other Controversie had between them And this is called in Latin Arbitratus and Arbitrium and they tha â— make the Award or Arbitrement are called Arbitri in English Arbitrators To every Arbitrement five things are incident sc Matter of Controversie Submission Parties to the Submission Arbitrors and giving up of the Arbitrement Dyer 217. pl. 62. If the Arbitrement be made that the one party shall go quit of all Actions which the other hath against him and nothing is said of the Actions which he hath against the other this Arbitrement is void because it was made of the one part and not of the other 7 H. 6. ca. 40. When a Submission to an Arbitrement is general of all Actions c. and the Arbitrator makes an Award only of one
Lease to any other the Executors shall have the Lease because they are his Assignees in Law And so it is in other cases Assise ASsise is a Writ that lies where any man is pur out of his lands tenements or of any profit to be taken in a certain place and so disseised of his Free-hold Free-hold to any man is where he is seised of lands and tenements or profit to be taken in Fee-simple Fee-tail for term of his own or another mans life But Tenant by Elegit Tenant by Stat Merchant and Stat. Staple may have Assise though they have no Free-hold and this is ordained by divers Statutes In an Assise it is needful always that there be one Disseisor and one Tenant or otherwise the writ shall abate Also where a man is disseised and recovers by Assise of Novel Disseisin and afterward is again disseised by the same Disseisor he shall have against him a Writ of Redisteisin directed to the Sheriff to make inquisition and if the Redisseisin be found he shall be sent to prison Also if one recover by assise of Mortduncaster or by other Iury or default or by reddition and if he be another time disseised then he shall have a Writ of Post Disseisin and he who is taken and imprisoned for Redisseisin shall not be delivered without special commandment of the King See the Statutes Merton c. 3. Marlebridge cap. 8. and Westminster 2. c. 26. There is also another assise called Assise of Fresh force and lies where a man is disseised of tenements which are devisable as in the City of London or other Boroughs or Towns that are Franchises then the Defendant shall come unto the Court of the said Town and enter his Plaint and shall have a Writ directed to the Mayor or Batleffs c. and thereupon shall pass a Iury in manner of Assise of Novel Disseisin But he must enter his Plaint within forty days as it is said or otherwise he shall be sent to the Common Law And if the Officers delay the Execution then the Plaintiff shall have another Writ to have Execution and a Sicut alias and a Pluries c. See Littleton cap. Rents Assise de darrain Presentment ASsise de darrain Presentment See Quare impedit Also there is an Assise of Nusance called Assisa Nocumenti Assise of the last Presentation Assise de Mortdancestor ASsise de Mortdancastor Look in the title of Cosinage Association ASsociation is a Patent sent by the King either of his own motion or at the suit of the party Plaintiff to the Iustices of Assise to have other persons associated to them to take the Assise And upon this Patent of Association the King will send his Writ to the Iustices of Assise by it commanding them to admit them that are so sent If the King makes three Iustices of Assise and afterwards one of them dies there the King may make a Patent of Association to another to associate him to the two in place of him that is dead and a Writ which shall be close directed to the two Iustices that are alive to admit him F. N. B. 185. Assoil ASsoil comes from the Latin absolvere and signifies to deliver or discharge a man of an Excommunication and so it is used by Stamford in his Plcas of the Crown lib. 2. cap 18. fol. 71. b. Assumpsit See Nude Contract ASsumpsit is a voluntary promise made by word by which a man assumes and takes upon him to perform or pay any thing to another This word contains in it any verbal Promise made upon consideration which the Civilians express by several words according to the nature of the Promise calling it sometimes Pactum Promissionem other times Sponsionem Pollicitationem or Constitutum Attach ATtach is a Taking or Apprehending by Command or Writ There are some differences between an Arrest and an Attachment for an Arrest proceeds out of the inferiour Courts by Precept and Attachment out of the Superior Courts by Precept or Writ Lamb. Eiren. lib. 1. cap. 16. Also an Arrest lies only upon the Body of a man whereas an Attachment is sometimes upon the Goods only as Kitch fol. 279. b. saith a man may attach a Cow and in another case that a man may be attached by an hundred Sheep and it is sometimes awarded upon the Body and Goods together at one and the same Attachment differs from a Capias for Kit. fol. 79. b. hath these words Note that in a Court of Baron a man shall be attached by goods and a Capias shall not go out thence By which it seems Attachment is more general extending to the taking of Goods where a Capias extends to the taking of the Body only An Attachment differs from a Distress as appears by Kit. fol. 78. a. where he saith Process in Court Baron is Summons Attachment and Distress which are Process at the Common Law There is also an Attachment of Priviledge and this is twofold either giving power to apprehend a man in a place priviledged or by vertue of an Office or Priviledge as to call another to that Court to which he himself belongs and in respect of which he is priviledged New Book of Entries fol. 431. a. And there is a Process called a Foreign Attachment which is used to attach the goods of Foreigners found within any Liberty or City for a Debt due to the party himself And by the custome of some places a man may attach goods in the hands of a stranger As if A. ows to B. ten pounds and C owes A. another Summe of money B. may attach the goods of A. in the hands of C. to satisfie himself in part or all as the Debt is Also there is Attachment of the Forest which is a Court there held every forty days throughout the year In which the Verderors have not any authority but to receive and inrol the Attachment of offenders against Vert and Venison taken by the other Officers that they may be presented at the next Iustice seat in Eyre Manwood part 1. pag. 93. cap. 22. Attainder ATtainder is a Conviction of of any person of a Crime or fault whereof he was not convict before As if a man have committed Felony Treason or such like and thereof is convicted arraigned and found guilty and hath Iudgment then he is said to be Attainted And this may be two ways the one upon Appearance the other upon default The Attainder upon Appearance is by Confession Batrail or Verdict the Attainder upon Default is by Process until he be outlawed Attaint ATtaint is a Writ that lies where false Verdict is given by twelve men and Iudgment given thereon then the party against whom they have passed shall have a Writ against the twelve men and when they are at issue it shall be tried by twenty four Iurors and if the false Verdict be found the twelve men are attaint and then the Iudgment shall be That their Meadows shall be eyred their Houses broken down their
be it by Knights Service or Soccage and not of any Honor Castle or Mannor and for this it is also called a Tenure which holds meerly of the King For as the Crown is a Corporation a Seignory in gross so the King who possesses the Crown is in the eye of the Law perpetually King never in his Minority and dies no more than Populus doth whose authority he bears See Fitz N. BreÌ„ fol. 5. Yet note That a man may hold of the King and yet not in Capite that is not immediately of the Crown in gross but by means of some Honor Castle or Manor belonging to the Crown whereof he holds his Land Of this Kitchin saith well That a man may hold of the King by Knight's service and yet not in Capite because it may be he holds of some honour by Knights service that is in the Kings hands by descent from his Ancestors and not immediately of the King as of his Crown fol. 129. With which agrees Fitzh Nat. BreÌ„ fol. 5. k. whose words are to this effect It plainly appears that Lands which are held of the King as of an Honor Castle or Manor are not held in Capite of the King because a Writ of right iu this case shall be directed to the Bailiff of the Honor Castle or Manor c. But when the lands are held of the King as of his Crown then they are not held of an Honor Castle or Manor but meerly of the King as King as of his Crown as of a Seignory of it self in gross and the chief of all other Seigniories And this Tenure in Capite is otherwise called Tenure holding of the person of the King Dyer fol. 44. Brook titulo Tenures num 65 99. And yet Ki â— chen fol. 208. saith That a man may hold of the person of the King and yet not in Capite His Case is this If the King purchase a Manor that J. S. holds the Tenant shall hold as he did before and he shall not render Livery nor primer Seisin nor hold in Capite And if the King grants his Manor to W. N. in fee excepting the services of J. S. then J. S. holds as of the person of the King and yet holds not in Capite but as he held before By which it seems that Tenure holding of the person of the King and Tenure in Capite are two divers Tenures To take away which difference it may be said That this place of Kitchen is to be taken as if he had said Not in Capite by Knights service but by Socage following the usual speech because most commonly where we speak of Tenure in Capite we intend Tenure by Knight's service See the Stat. 12 Car. 2. c. 24. by which all Tenures are now turned into free and common Socage Cark CArk seems to be a quantity of Wooll whereof 30 make a Sarplar 27 H. 6. cap. 2. See Sarplar Carno CArno is an Immunity as appears in Cromp. Jurisd f. 191. where it is said That the Prior of Malton made claim for him and his men to be quit of all Amerciaments within the Forest and also to be quit of Escapes and of all manner of Gelds and of Foot-gelds Buckstall Trites Carno and Summage c. Carrack or Carrick CArrack alias Carrick is a Ship of burthen and is so called of the Italian word Carico or Carco which signifies a Burthen This word is mentioned in the Statute 1 Jac. c. 33. Carue of Land CArue or Carucate of land is a certain quantity of land by which the Subjects have been heretofore taxed whereupon the Tribute so levied is called Caruage Bract. l. 2. c. 16. num 8. Lit. Sect. 119. saith that Soca is the same with Caruca sc a Soke or Plow Stow in his Annals p. 251. hath these words The same time H. the King took Caruage that is to say two Marks of Silver for every Knight's Fee to the marriage of his sister Isabel to the Empereur By which it seems there was raised of every Plow-land so much and so consequently of every Knight's free two Marks of Silver Rastal in his Exposition of words saith that Caruage is to be quit if the King shall tax all the Land by Plows that is a Priviledge by which a man is freed from Caruage Skene saith that it contains as great a portion of land as may be eyred or tilled in a year and a day with one Plow which also is called a Hild or Hide of land Castellain CAstellain is a Keeper or Captain sometimes called a Constable of a Castle Bracton l. 5. c. 2. cap. 16. In the same manner it is used anÌ„ 3 E. 1. c. 7. In the book of Feudis you shall find Guastaldus to be of like signification but more large because it is also extended to those that have the custody of the King's Mansion-houses called Courts notwithstanding they are not places of defence or force Manwood part 1. of the Laws of the Forest p. 113. saith That there is an Officer of the Forest called Castellanus Castle-guard CAstle-guard is an Imposition laid upon such of the Kings subjects as dwell within a certain compass of any Castle to the maintenance of such as watch and ward it Mag. Chart. cap. 2. an 32 H. 8. ca. 48. It is sometimes used for the Circuit it self which is inhabited by such as arc subject to this Service See Chivalry Casu consimili CAsu consimili is Writ of Entry granted where the Tenant by courtesie or Tenant for term of life or for the life of another aliens in Fee or in tail or for the life of another And it hath this name because the Clerks of the Chaucery have framed it by their common consent like the Writ called in casu ê“viso according to the authority given them by the Stat. of West 2. cap. 24. which wills That as often as it shall happen in Chancery that in one case a Writ is found and in the like case a remedy is wanting the Clerks of the Chancery should agree to make a Writ c. And this Writ is granted to him in reversion against the party to whom the said Tenant so aliened to his prejudice and in the life of the Tenant See more of this F. N. B. fol. 206. Casu proviso CAsu proviso is given by the Stat of Gloucester cap. 7. This Writ lies where Tenant in Dower aliens in Fee or for life or in tail the Land which she holds in Dower there he that hath the Reversion Fee or in Tail or for term of life shall presently have this Writ against the Alienee or him that is Tenant of the Free-hold of the Land and that during the life of the Tenant in Dower F. N. B. 205. n. Catals CAtals or Chatels comprehend all Goods movable and immovable except such as are in nature of Free-hold or parcel of it as may be collected out of Stamf. Praer cap. 16. and anno 1 Eliz. cap. 2. Yet Kitch fol. 32. saith that
avoid a Discent of lands and by it in other cases he may save his Title which otherwise should be lost As if a man be disseised and the Disseisee makes a Continual claim that is if he claim the lands whereof he is disseised within the year and day before the death of the Disseisor then may he enter notwithstanding the Discent Also if a Fine be levied of another mans Land then he that hath right thereunto ought to make his Claim within five years after the Proclamation had made or certified by the Statute of 4 Hen. 7. cap 24. But a Stranger that hath no right cannot of his own head enter or make Claim in the name of him that hath right to avoid the Fine within the five years without commandment precedent or assent subsequent yet Gardian for education or in Socage may enter or make Claim in the name of the Infant that hath right to enter or make Claim and this shall help the estate of the Infant without commandment or assent for there is privity between them Claim of Libertie Is a Suit or Petition to the King in the Court of Exchequer to have Liberties and Franchises confirmed there by the Kings Attorney General Co. Ent. 93. Clergie CLergie is taken divers wayes sometimes for the whole number of Religious men sometimes for a Plea to an Indictment or Appeal and is defined to be an ancient Liberty of the Church confirmed in divers Parliaments And it is when a man is arraigned of Felony or such like before a temporal Iudge c. and the prisoner prayes his Clergy that is to have his Book which in ancient time was as much as if he desired to be dismissed from the temporal Iudge and to be dâ—livered to the Ordinary to purge himself of the same offence And then the Iudge shall command the Ordinary to trie if he can read as a Clerke in such a Book and place as the Iudge shall appoint And if the Ordinary certifie the Iudge that he can then the prisoner shall not have judgment to lose his life But this Libertie of the Clergie is restrained by the Statute of 8 El. c. 4. an 14 ejusd c. 5. an 18 ejusd c. 4 6 7. 23 ejusd cap. 2. 29. ejusd cap. 2 31 ejusd cap. 12. 39 ejusd cap. 9 15. See Crompt Just of Peace fo 102 c. and Stamf. lib. 2. cap. 41. and the Stat. of 18 Eliz. cap. 7. by which Clerks are not to be delivered to their Ordinaries to be purged but now every man though not within Orders is put to read at the Bar being found guilty and convicted of such Felony for which this benefit is still granted and so burned in the hand and set free the first time if the Ordinary's Comissary or Deputy saith He readeth as a Clerk or otherwise he suffers death for his transgression Clerk CLerk hath two significations one as it is the title of him that belongs to the holy Ministery of the Church that is in these dayes either Minister or Deacon of what other degree or dignity soever although that in ancient time not only Sacerdotes and Diaconi but also Subdiaconi Can â— ores Acoluthi Exorcistae and Ostiarii were within this account as they are at this day where the Canon Law hath full power And in this signification a Clerk is either Religious otherwise called Regular or Secular 4 H. 4. cap. 12. The other signification of this word denotes such as by their function or course of life use their pen in any Court or otherwise as namely the Clerk of the Rolls of Parliament Clerks of the Chancery and such like Clerico admittendo CLerico admittendo is a Writ directed to the Bishop for the admitting a Clerk to a Benefice upon a Ne admittas tried and found for the party that procures the Writ Beg. orig f. 31. Clerk Attaint CLerk attaint is he who prayes his Clergy after judgment given upon him of the Felony and hath his Clergy allowed such a Clerk might not make his Purgation Clerk convict CLerk convict is he who prayes his Clergy before judgment given upon him of the Felony and hath his Clergy granted such a Clerk might make his Purgation Note that this Purgation was made when he was dismissed to the Ordinary there to be tried by the enquest of Clerks and therefore now by the Stat. of 18 Eliz. cap. 7. no such is put to the Ordinary Closh CLosh is an unlawfull Game forbidden by the Statute made in the 17 year of E. cap. 4. and it is inhibited also by the Statute of 33 H. 8. cap. 9. But there it is more properly called Clash for it is the throwing of a Bowl at nine Pins of wood or nine shank-bones of an Oxe or Horse and it is now ordinarily called Kailes or Nine-pins Coadjutor COadjutor to the Disseisin is he who with another disseises one of his Free-hold to the use of the other and he shall be punished as a Disseisor but he is not such a Disseisor who gaines the Freehold but the Free-hold vests and is wholly in him to whose use the Disseisin was committed as appears in Littleton l. 3. cap. 3 of Jointenants Cocket COcket is a Seal pertaining to the King's Custome-house and it signifies also a Scrowl of Parchment sealed and delivered by the Officers of the Custome-house to Merchants as a Warrant that their merchandize are customed This word is used in the old Statutes now expired of 14 E. 3. Stat. 1. c. 21. 11 H. 6. cap. 16. Codicil COdicil is the Will or Testament of a man concerning that which he would have done after his death without the appointing of an Executor Or it is an addition or supplement added unto a Will or Testament after the finishing of it for the supply of something which the Testator had forgotten or to help some defect in the Will Of this you may read more in Swinbourn's Wills and Testaments part 1. Sect. 5. num 2 3 c. Coin COin is a word collective which contains in it all manner of the several stamps pourtraitures of Money And this is one of the Royal Prerogatives belonging to every Prince that he alone in his own Dominions may order dispose the quantity and fashions of his Coin And though this is the sinew of all traffick and commerce yet the Coin of one King is not currant in the Realms of another King commonly unless at great loss If a man binds himself to pay an hundred pounds of lawfull Money of England to another and at the day of payment some of the money chances to be Spanish or French Coin there the Obligation is well performed if those Coins are by Proclamation made currant money of England For the King by his absolute Prerogative may make any forein Coin lawful money of England at his pleasure by his Proclamation In case where a man is to pay Rent to his Lessor upon condition of Re-entry and the
Lessee pays the Rent to the Lessor and he receives it and puts it in his purse and afterwards upon review of it at the same time he finds that he hath received some counterfeit pieces aud thereupon refuses to take away the Money but re-enters for the Condition broken there his Entry is not lawful for when he hath accepted the Money this was at his peril and after this allowance he shall not take exception to any of it Collateral COllateral is that which comes in or adheres to the side of any thing as Collateral Assurance is that which is made over and beside the Deed it self For example if a man covenants with another and enters Bond for the performance the Bond is called Collateral Assurance because it is external and without the nature and essence of the Covenant And Crompton fol. 185. saith that to be subject to feeding the Kings Deer is collateral to the soil within the Forest In like manner we may say that the liberty to pitch Sheds or Standing for a Fair in the soil of another man is collateral to the land The private Woods of a common person within the Forest cannot be cut down without the Kings license for it is a Prerogative collateral to the soil Man part 1. pag. 66. Collateral Warranty See tit Warrantie Collation COllation is properly the bestowing of a Benefice by the Bishop that hath it in his own Gift or Patronage and differs from Institution in this for that Institution into a Benefice is performed by the Bishop at the motion and Presentation of another who is Patron of the same Church or hath the Patrons right for that time Yet Collation is used for Presentation in 25 E. 3. Stat. 6. and there is a Writ in the Regist 31. b. called De Collatione facta uni post mortem alterius c. directed by the Iustices of the Common Pleas commanding them to direct their Writ to the Bishop for the admitting a Clerk in the place of another presented by the King who during the Suit between the King and the Bishops Clerk deceased for judgment once passed for the Kings Clerk and he dying before he be admitted the King may give his Presentation to another Collusion COllusion is where an action is brought against another by his own agreement if the Plaintiff recover then such Recovery is called by Collusion And in some cases the Collusion shall be enquired of as in Quare impedit and Assise and such like which any Corporation or Body politick brings against another to the intent to have the Land or Advowson whereof the Writ is brought in Mortmain But in Avowry nor in any Action personal the Collusion shall not be inquired See the Stat. of Westm 2. c. 32. which gives the Quale jus and enquiry in such cases Colour COlour is feigned matter which the Defendant or Tenant uses in his barre when an Action of Trespass or an Assise is brought against him in which he gives the Demandant or Plaintiff a Shew at first sight that he hath good cause of Action where in truth it is no just cause but only a Colour and Face of a cause and it is used to the intent that the determination of the Action should be by the Iudges and not by an ignorant Iury of twelve men And therefore a Colour ought to be a matter in Law doubtfull to the common people As for example A. brings and Assise of land against B. and B. saith he himself did let the same land to one C. for term of life and afterward did grant the Reversion to A. the Demandant and after C. the Tenant for term of life died after whose decease A. the Demandant claiming the Reversion by force of the Grant whereto C. the Tenant for life did never atturn entred upon whom B. entred against whom A. for that Entry brings this Assise c. This is a good Colour because the common people think the land will pass by the Grant without Atturnment where indeed it will not pass c. Also in an Action of Trespass Colour must be given of which there are an infinite number one forexample In an Action of Trespass for taking away the Plaintiffs Beasts the Defendant saith that before the Plaintiff had any thing in them he himself was possessed of them as of his proper goods and delivered them to A. B. to deliver them to him again when c. and A. B. gave them unto the Plaintiff and the Plaintiff supposing the property to be in A. B. at the time of the gift took them and and the Defendant took them from the Plaintiff whereupon the Plaintiff brings an Action that is a good Colour and a good Plea See more hereof in Doctor and Student l. 2. c. 13. Colour is for this cause viz. where the Defendant justifies by title in trespass or Assize if he do not give the Plaintiff Colour his plea amounteth only to not guilty for if the Defendant hath title he is not guilty 1 Co. 79. 108. Colour of Office COlour of Office is always taken in the worst part and signifies an act evilly done by the countenance of an Office and it bears a dissembling face of the right of the Office whereas the Office is but a vail to the falshood and the thing is grounded upon vice and the Office is as a shadow to it But by reason of the Office and by virtute of the Office are taken always in the best part and where the Office is the just cause of the thing and the thing is pursuing the Office Plo. in Dive Man case sol 64. a. Combat COmbat in our ancient Law was a formal Trial of a doubtful Cause or quarrel by the Sword or Bastons of two Champions See Glanvile l. 14. c. 1. Britton c. 22. and Dyer fol. 301. num 41. Commandment COmmandment is taken in divers significations sometimes for the Commandment of the King when by his mere motion and from his own mouth he casts any man into prison Stamf. Plac. Coron fol. 72. or of the Iustices And this Commandment of the Iustices is either absolute or ordinary Absolute as when upon their own authority or wisdom and discretion they commit any man to prison for a punishment Ordinary is when they commit one rather to be safely kept then for punishmenr and a man committed by such ordinary Commandment is bailable Placit Cor. fol. 73. Commandment is again used for the offence of him that wills another man to transgresse the Law or to do any such thing as is contrary to the Law as Murther Theft or such like Bract. l. 3. tract 2. c. 19. The Civilians call this Commandment Angelus de maleficiis Commendrie COmmandrie was the name of a Manor or chief Messuage with which Lands or Tenements were used belonging to the late Priory of S. John of Jerusalem untill they were given to King Henry the eighth by Statute made in the 32 year of his reign And he who
to shew a difference between them and base Courts as Customary Courts Court-Barons County Courts Pipowders and such like as when a Plea of land is removed out of ancient Demesne because the land is Frank-fee and pleadable at the Common Law that is to say in the Kings Court and not in ancient Demesne or in any other base Court Thirdly and most usually by Common Law is understood such Laws as were generally taken and holden for Law before any Statute was made to alter the same as for example Tenant for life nor for years were not to be punished for doing Waste at the common Law till the Statute of Gloucester cap. 5. which gives an Action of Waste against them But Tenant by the courtesie and Tenant in dower were punishable for Waste at the Common Law that is by the usual and common received Laws of the Realm before the said Statute was made Common Pleas. COmmon Pleas is the Kings Court now held in Westminster-Hall but in ancient time moveable as appears by Magna Charta cap. 11. But Gwyn in the Preface to his Reading saith That untill the time that Henry the third granted the Great Charter there were but two Courts only called the Kings Courts the Exchequer and Kings Bench which was called Aula Regia because it followed the Court and that upon the grant of that Charter the Court of Common Pleas was erected and setled in a place certain viz. at Westminster and therefore all the Writs were made with this Return Quid sit coram Justiciariis meis apud Westmonasteriū where before the partie was commanded by them to appear coram Me vel Justiciariis meis without any addition of any place certain All Civil causes as well Real as Personal are or were in ancient time tried in this Court according to the strict Law of the Kingdom And by Fortescue cap. 50. it seems to have been the only Court for Real Causes The thief Iudge thereof is called The Lord chief Justice of the Common pleas accompanied with three or four Assistants or Associates who are created by the Kings Letters Patents and as it were installed or placed upon the Bench by the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Iustice of the Court as appears by Fortescue cap. 51. who expresses all the circumstances of this Admission The rest of the Officers appertaining to this Court are these The Custos Brevium three Prothenataries Chirographer fourteen Philasers four Exigenters Clerk of the Warrants Clerk of the Iuries Clerk of the Treasurie Clerk of the Kings Silver Clerk of the Essoines Clerk of the Outlawries Common day in plea of land COmmon day in plea of land Anno 13 R. 2. Stat. 1. cap. 17. signifies an ordinary day in the Court as Octabis Michaelis Quindena Paschae c. as you may see in the Statute ◠1 Hen. 3. concerning general days in the Bench. Commotes COmmotes seems to be a compound word of the Preposition Con and Motio that is Dictio Verbum and signifies in Wales part of a County or Hundred An. 28 H. 8. cap. 3. It is written Commoithes Anno 4 H. 4. cap. 17. and is used for a Gathering made upon the people of this or that Hundred by Welsh Minstrels Communi Custodia COmmuni Custodia is a Writ which didlie for that Lord whose Tenant holding by Knights service dies his eldest son within age against a stranger who entred the land and obtained the Ward of the body It seems to take name from the common Custome or right in this case which is That the Lord shall have the wardship of his Tenant untill his full age or because that it is common for the recovery both of the Land and Tenant as appears by the form thereof Old N. B. 89. Regist Orig. 161. Compromise COmpromise is a mutual Promise of two or more parties that are at controversie to submit themselves and all differences between them unto the Award Arbitrement or Iudgment of one or more Arbitrators indifferently chosen between them to determine and adjudge upon all matters referred and upon which the parties differ Computation COmputation is used in the Common Law for the true and indifferent Construction of time so that neither the one party shall do wrong to the other nor the determination of times referred at large be taken one way or other but computed according to the just censure of the Law As if Indentures of Demise are ingrossed bearing date the eleventh day of May 1665. to have and to hold the land in S. for three years from henceforth and the Indentures are delivered the fourth day of June in the year aforesaid In this case from henceforth shall be accounted from the day of the Delivery of the Indentures and not by any computation from the Date And if the said Indenture be delivered at four of the clock in the afternoon of the said fourth day this Lease shall end the third day of June in the third year for the Law in this Computation rejects all fractions or divisions of the day for the incertainty which alwayes is the Mother of contention So where the Statute of Inrollments made Anno 27 Henr. 8. cap. 16. is That the Writings shall be inrolled within six moneths after the Date of the same Writings indented if such Writings have Date the six months shall be accounted from the Date and not from the Delivery but if they want Date then it shall be accounted from the Delivery Co. li. 5. fol. 1. If any Deed be shewed to a Court at Westminster the Deed by Iudgment of the Law shall remain in Court all the Term in which it is shewed for all the Term in Law is but one day Co. lib. 5. fol. 74. If a Church be void and the true Patron doth not present within six months then the Bishop of the Diocess may collate his Chaplain but these six months shall not be computed according to 28 days to the month but according to the Kalendar And there is great diversity in our common speech in the singular number as a Twelve-moneth which includes all the Year according to the Kalendar and twelve-months which shall be computed according to 28 days to every month See Coke lib. 6. f. 61. b. Computo COmputo is a Writ so called of the effect because it compells a Bayliff Chamberlain or Receiver to yield his Account Old Nat. Brev. fol. 53. It is founded upon the Statute of Westm 2. cap 2. which you may for your better understanding read And it also lies for Executors of Executors 15 Ed. 3. Star de Provis Victual cap. 5. Thirdly against the Gardian in Secage for Waste made in the Minority of the Heir Malbr cap. 17. And see farther in what other cases it lies Reg. Orig. fol. 135. Old N. B. fol. 58. F. N. B. fol. 116. Concealers COncealers are such as find out lands concealed that is such lands as are secretly detained from the King by common persons having nothing to shew
Winchester 13 Edw. 1. which appoints for the conservation of the Peace and view of Armour two Constables in every Hundred and Liberty and these are at this day called High Constables because the increase of people and offences hath again under these made others in every Town called Pe ◠ie Constables who are of the like nature but of inferiour authority to the other Besides these there are Officers of particular places called by this name as Constable of the Tower Stan. 152. 1 H. 4. 13. Constable of the Exchequer 15 H. 3. Stat. 5. Constable of Dover Castle Camb. Brit. pag. 239. F. N. B. otherwise called Castellain Manw. part 1. cap. 13. of his Forest Law makes mention of a Constable of the Forest Customes and Services See Prescription CUstomes and Services is a Writ and lies where I or my ancestors after the limitation of Assise for which see the Title of Limitation in the Collection of Statutes were not seised of the Customes or Services of the Tenant before then I shall have this Writ to recover those Services Also the Tenant may have this Writ against his Lord but after the Tenant hath declared the Lord shall defend the words of the Declaration and replying shall say that he distrained not for the Customes whereof the Declaration is and then he shall declare all the Declaration of the Customes and Services and then the Tenant who was Plaintiff shall become Defendant and shall defend by Battel or great Assise Consultation COnsultation is a Writ whereby a Cause being formerly removed by Prohibition out of the Ecclesiastical Court or Court Christian to the Kings Court is returned thither again For if the Iudges of the Kings Court comparing the Libell with the Suggestion of the party find the Suggestion false or not proved and therefore the Cause to be wrongfully called from the Court Christian then upon this Consultation or Deliberation they decree it to be returned again whereupon the Writ in this case obtained is called a Consultation Of this you may read the Regist Orig. fol. 44. untill fol. 58. Old Nat. Brev. fol. 32. Fitzh Nat. Brev. fol. 50. Contenement COntenement seems to be the freehold-Freehold-land that lies to the Tenement or Dwelling-house that is in his own occupation for in Magna Charta cap. 14. there are these words A Free-man shall not be amerced for a small fault but according to the quantity of the fault and for a great fault according to the manner thereof saving unto him his Conteuement or Free-hold And a Merchant shall also be amerced saving to him his Merchandizes and a Villain saving to him his Wainage Continual Claime COntinual claim is where a man hath right to e ◠ter into certain lands whereof another is seised in Fee or Fee-tail and dares not enter for fear of death or beating but approaches as nigh as he dares and makes Claim thereto within the year and day before the death of him that hath the Lands if that he who hath the Land die seised and his Heir is in by discent yet he that makes such Claim may enter upon the Heir notwithstanding such discent because he hath made such Continual claim But such Claim must always be made within the year and the day before the death of the Tenant for if such Tenant do not die seised within a year and a day after such Claim made and yet he that hath right dares not enter then it behoves him that hath such right to make another Claim within the year and day after the first Claim and after such second Claim to make the third Claim within the year and day if he will be sure to save his Entry But if the Disseisor die seised within the year and day after the Disseisin and no Claim made then the entrie of the Disseisee is taken away for the year and day shall not be taken from the time of the title of the Entry to him grown but only from the time of the last Claim by him made as is aforesaid See more hereof in Littl. li. 3. c. 7. and see the Stat. 32 H. 8. cap. 33. Continuance COntinuance in the Common Law is of the same signification with Prorogatio in the Civil as Continuance until the next Assise Fitzh Nat. Brev. 154. f and 244. d. in both which places it is said That if a Record in the Treasury be alledged by the one party and denyed by the other a Certiorari shall be sued to the Treasurer and the Chamherlain of the Exchequer and if they do not certifie in the Chancery that such Record is there or that it is like to be in the Tower the King shall send to the Iustices repeating the said Certificate and commanding them to continue the Assise In this signification it is also used by Kitchen 202. and 119. also Anno 11 H. 6. cap. 4. Contract COntract is a Bargain or Covenant between two parties where one thing is given for another which is called Quid pro quo as if I sell my Horse for money or if I covenant to make you a Lease of my Mannor of Dale in consideration of twenty pound that you shall give me these are good Contracts because there is one thing for another But if a man make promise to me that I shall have xx s. and that he will be debtor to me thereof and after I ask the xx s. and he will not deliver it yet I shall never have any Action to recover this xx s. because this Promise was no Contract but a bare Promise and Ex nudo Pacto non oritur Actio But if any thing were given for the twenty shillings though it were but to the value of a peny then it had been a good Contract Contra forma Collationis COntra formam Collationis is a Writ that lies where a man hath given Lands in perpetual Almes to any of the late Houses of Religion as to an Abbot and Convent or other Soveraign or to the Warden or Master of any Hospital and his Covent to find certain poor men and to do other Divine Service if they alien the Lands then the Donor or his heirs shall have the said Writ to recover the Land But this Writ shall be alway brought against the Abbot or his successor and not against the Alienee although he be Tenant but in all other Actions where a man demands Free-hold the Writ shall be brought against the Tenant of the Land See the Stat. West 2. cap. 41. Contra formam Feoffamenti COntra formā Feoffamenti is a Writ that lies where a man before the Statute of Quia emptores terrarum made 18 Edw. 1. infeoffed another by Deed to do certain Service if the Feoffor or his heirs distrain him to do other Service then is comprised in the Deed then the Tenant shall have this Writ commanding him not to distrain him to do other Service then is comprised in the Deed. But this Writ lies not for the Plaintiff who
claims by purchase from the first Feoffee but for the Heir to the first Feoffee Contributione facienda COntributione facienda is a Writ that lies where there are divers Parceners and he who hath the part of the eldest makes all the suit to the Lord the others ought to make Contribution to him and if they will not he shall have against them this Writ In some cases the Heir shall have Contribution and in others not but shall be alone charged For if a man be seised of three Acres of Land and acknowledges a Recognizance or Statute c. and infeoffs A. of one Acre and B. of another Acre and the third discends to his Heir if Execution be sued against the Heir only he shall not have Contribution against any Purchasor yet he is charged as Terre-tenant and not as Heir for the Land and not himself is charged Yet if a man be seised of two Acres the one of the nature of Borough-English and binds himself as before and dies having issue two daughters who make partition in this case if the one be charged he shall have Contribution for as one Purchasor shall have Contribution against others and against the Heir of the Conusee also so one Heir shall have Contribution against another Heir for they are in equal degree Also if a man be so bound and after his death some of his Land descends to the Heir of the part of the father and some to the Heir of the part of the mother the one alone shall not be charged but if he be he shall have Contribution In Dower if the Tenant vouches the Heir in ward to three several Lords each of them shall be equally charged If two four or more men be severally seized of Land and they all joyn in a Recognisance in this case the Conusee cannot extend the Land of any of the Conusors alone but all ought equally to be charged for though the Land of the Conusor himself may be only extended when divers men have purchased any of the Land subject to the Recognisance because the Purchasor is in another degree then the Conusor himself yet one of the Conusors shall not be solely charged for he stands in equal degree with the other Conusors Also the tertenant of a Debtor upon an extent shall have contribution of the Heir of the Debtor which see 1 Cro. Eyer against Taunton If Iudgement be given against two Disseisors in Assise for the Land and damages and one Disseisor dies the Execution shall not be awarded against the surviving Disseisor that was party to the wrong but as well the Heir as the Disseisor shall be equally charged But otherwise it is in personal binding as if two are bound in an Obligation there the charge shall survive And where it is said that the one Purchasor shall have Contribution it is not thereby intended that the others shall give or allow unto him any thing by way of Contribution but it ought to be intended that the party that is solely extended for all may by an Audita querela or Scire Facias as the case requires defeat the Execution and thereby shall be restored to all the mean profits and force the Conusee to sue Execution of all the Land so in this manner every one shall be contributory viz. the Land of every Terre-Tenant shall be equally extended Convocation COnvocation is commonly taken for the Assembly of all the Clergy to consult of Exclesiastical matters in time of Parliament And as there are two Houses of Parliament so there are two places called Convocation-houses the one called the Higher Convocation-house where the Archbishops and Bishops sit severally by themselves the other the Lower Convocation-house where all the rest of the Clergy sit Vide Prolocutor Conusance COnusance of Plea is a Priviledge that a City or Tenant hath by the Kings grant to hold Plea of all Contracts and of Lands within the precinct of the Franchise and that when any man is impleaded for any such thing in the Court of the King at Westm the Mayors or Bayliffs of such Franchises or their Atturneys may ask Conusance of the Plea that is to say that the Plea and the matter shall be pleaded a â— d determined before them But if the Court at Westminster be lawfully seised of the Plea before Conusance be demanded then they shall not have Conusance for that Suit because they have neglected their time of demand thereof but this shall be no bar to them to have Conusance in another Action for they may demand Conusance in one Action and omit it in another at their pleasure And note that Conusance lies not in Prescription but it behoves to shew the Kings Letters Patents for it Coparceners COparceners See Parceners Copyhold COpyhold is a Tenure for which the Tenant hath nothing to shew but the Copies of the Rolls made by the Steward of his Lord's Court For the Steward as he inrolls all other things done in his Lords Court so he doth also such Tenants as are admitted in the Court to any parcel of Land or Tenements belonging to the Manor and the Transcript of this is called the Court-Roll the Copy whereof the Tenant takes from him and keeps as his only Evidence Coke l. 4. fol. 25. This Tenure is called a Base Tenure because it holds at the will of the Lord Kitchen fol. 80. Fitzh Nat. Brev. f. 12. b. c. who saith it was wont to be called Tenure in Villenage and that this Copyhold is but a new name Yet it is not simply at the will of the Lord but according to the Custome of the Manor so that if a Copiholder break not the Custome of the Manor and thereby forfeit his Tenure he seems not so much to stand at his Lords courtesie for his right as to be displaced when he pleases The Customes of Manors are infinite varying in one point or other almost in every several Manor First some Copyhold is fineable and some certain That which is fineable the Lord rates at what Fine he pleases when the Tenant is admitted unto it that which is certain is a kind of inheritauce and called in many places Customary because the Tenant dying and the Hold being void the next of bloud paying the customary Fine cannot be denied admittance Secondly some Copyholders have by Custome the Woods growing upon their own Land which by the Law they cannot have Thirdly there are Copy-holders that hold by the Vierge in Ancient demesne and although they hold by Copy yet they are in nature of Free-holders for if such a one commit Felony the King hath the year day and waste as in case of Free-hold Some others hold by Common Tenure called mere Copyhold and if they commit Felony their Land presently escheats to the Lord of the Manor West part 1 l. 2. sect 646. defines a Copyholder thus Tenant by Copy of Court-roll is he who is admitted Tenant of any Lands or Tenements within a Manor which time without
both are Records yet the Iudgment in the Kings Court upon judicial and ordinary proceeding is more notorious and conspicuous and of a more high and eminent degree then a Statute or Recognisance taken in private and by consent of parties and is therefore preferred in judgment of the Law before Recognisance or Statute and if the Executors do not satisfie this first then if they have no goods of the dead in their hands they shall pay it of their own So the Ordinary having goods of one that dies intestate in his hands by Sequestration and an Action of Debt upon an Obligation to the value of the said goods is brought against him as Ordinary he shall not dispose or administer any parcell of the said Goods to the other Creditors at his pleasure but is bound to satisfie the Debt first for which an Action is brought against him Dyer fol. 232. placit 5. If a Sheriff retorne ex officio without inquest that the Executor hath wasted goods the Execution goes de bonis propriis of the Executor and if the retorn be false then the Executor may have an Action upon the Case against the Sheriff for his false retorn because the Executor hath no day to plead But if the Sheriff retorn a devastavit upon an Inquiry by a Iury the Executor may appear and traverse quod non devastavit and try it 1 Cro. Mounson and Bourn Proctor versus Chamberlain Devenerunt DEvenerunt is a Writ directed to the Escheator when any of the Kings Tenants holding in Capite dies and when his son and heir within age and in the Kings custody dies then shall this Writ go forth commanding the Escheator that he by the oath of good and lawful men enquire what Lands or Tenements by the death of the Tenant come to the King c. See Dyer f. 360. pla 4. But see the Stat. 12. Car. 2. cap. 24. Devest DEvest is a word contrary to Invest for as Invest signifies to deliver the possession of a thing so Devest signifies the taking it away Devise DEvise is where a man in his Testament gives or bequeaths his Goods or Lands to another after his decease And where such Devise is made of Goods if the Executors will nor deliver them to the Devisee he hath no remedy by the Common Law but it behoves him to have a Citation against the Executors of the Testator to appear before the Ordinary to shew why he performs not the Will of the Testator for the Devisee may not take the Legacy and serve himself but it must be delivered to him by the Executors See the Stat. 32 H. 8. ca. 1. 34 H. 8. ca. 5. 29 Car. 2. ca. 3. By which last Statute the Law of Testameuts is altered But by the Common Law if a man be sole seised of Lands in fee and devises them by Testament this Devise was void unless the Lands were in City or Borough where Lands are devisable by Custome But if any man were infeoffed to the use of another and his heirs and he to whose use he was so seised did make Devise of his Lands this Devise was good though it were not in a Town where Lands are devisable Also if any man devise Lands in City Town or Borough devisable and the Devisor dies if his Heir or any other abate in the Lands then the Devisee shall have a Writ of Ex gravi querela But this Writ shall never be pleaded before the Kings Iustice but always before the Maior or Bailiffs in the same Town And here to the end to shew how much the Laws of this Realm and the discreet Iudges of the same who are the Interpreters of it do favour Wills and Testaments and Devises in yielding to them such a reasonable construction as they think might best agree with the minds of the dead considering that Wills and Testaments are for the most part and by common intendment made when the Testatour is very sick weak and past all hope of recovery for it is a received opinion in the Countrey amongst most that if a man should chance to be so wise as to make his Will in his good health when he is strong of good memory and hath time and leisure to ask counsell if any doubt were of the Learned that then he should not live long after and therefore they deferre it to such time when it were more convenient to apply themselves to the dispositions of their Souls than of their Lands or Goods except it were that by the fresh memory and recital of them at that time it might be a cause to put them in mind of some of their goods or lands falsly gotten and so move them to restitution c. And at that time the penning of such Wills is commonly committed to the Minister of the Parish or to some other more ignorant who knows not what words are necessary to make an Estate in Fee-simple Fee-tail for term of life or such like besides many other mischiefs I will therefore here set down some of those Cases that are most common in ignorant mens mouths and carry by the wise interpretations of the Judges a larger and more favourable sense in Wills than in Deeds First therefore if one devise to J. S. by his Will all his Lands and Tenements here not only all those Lands that he hath in possession do pass but all those that he hath in Reversion by virtue of those words Tenements And if Lands be devised to a man to have to him for ever or to have to him and his Assigns in these two cases the Devisee shall have a Fee-simple But if it be given by Feoffment in such manner he hath but an Estate for term of life And if a man devise his Land to another to give sell or do therewith at his pleasure or will this is Fee-simple A Devise made to one and to his Heirs males doth make an Estate-tail But if such words be put in a Deed of Feoffment it shall be taken for Fee-simple because it doth not appear of what body the Heirs males shall be begotten If Lands be given by Deed to J. S. and to the Heirs males of his body c. who hath issue a daughter who hath issue a son and dies there the Land shall return to the Donor and the son of the Daughter shall nor have it because he cannot convey himself by Heirs males for his mother is a let thereto But otherwise it is of such a Devise for there the son of the daughter shall have it rather then the Will shall be void If one devise to an Infant in his mothers belly it is a good Devise but otherwise by Feoffment Grant or Gift for in those cases there ought to be one of ability to take presently or otherwise it is void See 14. El. Dy. 304. A Devise made in Fee-simple without expresse words of Heirs is good in Fee-simple But if a Devise be made to J. N. he
shall have the Land but for term of life for those words will carry no greater Estate If one will that his son J. shall have his Land after the death of his wife here the wife of the Devisor shall have the Land first for term of life So likewise if a man devise his goods to his wife and that after the decease of his wife his son and heir shall have the House where the goods are there the son shall not have the House during the life of the wife For it doth appear that his intent was that his wife should have the House also for her life notwithstanding it were not devised to her by express words If a Devise be to J. N. and to the Heirs females of his body begotten after the Devisee hath issue a son and daughter and dies here the daughter shall have the Land and not the son and yet he is the most worthy person and Heir to his father but because the Will of the dead is that the daughter should have it Law and Conscience will so also And herein the very Heathens were precise as appears by those Verses of Octavius Augustus which Donatus reports he made after Virgil at his death gave commandment that his Books should be burnt because they were imperfect and yet some perswaded that they should be saved as indeed they happily were to whom he answered thus Let Faith and Law be kept and what last Will Commandeth to be done we must fulfill Devoire DEvoire is as much as to say a Duty It is used in the Statute of 2 R. 2. ca. 3. where it is provided That all the Western Merchants being of the Kings amity shall pay all manner Customs and Subsidies and other Devoires of Caleis See the Stat. 5 Ejusdē Regis cap. 2. Devorce DEvorce or Divorce Divortium dictum est Diversitate mentium quia in diversas partes eunt qui distrahunt Matrimonium or else from the verb Diverto which signifies to return back because after the Devorce between the husband and wife he returns her again to her father or other friends or to the place from whence he had her And though Devorce was never approved of by the Divine Law but contrariwise prohibited as appears by this precept Let no man separate that which God hath joyned together yet in all ages and well-governed Common-wealths it hath been used and permitted As at this day with us there are divers causes for which the husband and wife may be devorced as first causa Praecontractus Therefore if a man marry with a woman precontracted and hath issue by her this issue in Law and in truth bears the surname of his father but if after the husband and wife be devorced for the Precontract there the issue hath lost his surname and is become a Bastard and nullius filius Cok. lib. 6. fol. 66. Devorce may be causa Frigiditatis and therefore if a man be married to a woman and after they are devorced causa Frigiditatis and then the man takes another wife and hath issue by her yet this issue is lawfull because that a man may be habilis inhabilis diversis temporibus and by the Devorce causa Frigiditatis the Marriage was dissolved a vinculo Matrimonii and by consequence either of them might marry again Cok. lib. 5. fol. 98. b. Also a man may be devorced causa Impubertatis or Minoris aetatis and in this case if two are married infra annos nubiles and after full age Devorce is had between them this dissolves the Marriage and the woman may arraign an Assise against the Husband for the Lands or Tenements given with her in Frank-marriage 19 lib. Assise Pla. 2. So Devorce may be had causa Professionis causa consanguinitatis causa Fornicationis and for many other causes too long to be now recited It is requisite that in the sentence of Devorce the Cause thereof be shewed because some Devorce dissolves the Matrimony that is to say a vinculo Matrimonii bastards the issue and barrs the wife of Dower and some a mensa thoro the which dissolves not the Matrimony nor barrs the Woman of Dower nor bastards the issue Devorce is a Iudgement spiritual and therefore if there be cause ought to be reversed in the Spiritual Court See Cok. lib. 7. Kenns Case If a Woman Copiholder of certain Land durante viduitate sua according to the Custome of the Mannor sows the Land and before the severance of the Corn takes a husband the Lord shall have the Emblements and not the husband But if a Lease be made to the husband and wife during the Coverture and the husband sows the Land and afterward they are devorced causa Praecontractus the husband shall have the Emblements and not the Lessor Dicker DIcker is a word used in the Statute of 1 Jacobi cap. 22. and it signifies the quantity of Ten Hides of Leather And it seems to come from the Greek word Decas which signifies Ten. Diem clausit extremum DIem clausit extremum is a Writ that lies where the Kings Tenant that hold in Chief dies then this Writ shall be directed to the Escheator to enquire of what Estate he was seised who is next Heir and his age and of the certainty and value of the Land and of whom it is holden and the Inquisition shall be returned into the Chancery which is commonly called The Office after the death of that persō And there is another Writ of Diem clausit extremum awarded out of the Exchequer after the death of an Accountant or Debtor of his Majestie to levy the Debt of his Heir Executor Administrators lands or goods Dietus datus DIes datus is a Respite given to the Tenant or Defendant before the Court Brook Tit. Continuance Dieta rationabilis DIeta rationabilis is sometimes used for a Reasonable Days journey as Bract. l. 3. patt 2. cap. 16. It hath in the Civil Law other significations which need not be here mentioned See Vocabul utriusque Juris Dieu son act DIeu son act these are words oftentimes used in our Law and it is a Maxime That the Act of God shall prejudice no man And therefore if a House fall down by Tempest or other Act of God the lessee for life or years shall not only be quit in an Action of Waste brought against him but hath by the Law a special interest to take timber to build the House again if he will for his habitation Cok. lib. 4. 63. lib. 11. 82. a. In like manner when the Condition of an Obligation consists of two parts in the disjunctive and both are possible at the time of the Obligation made and afterwards one of them becomes impossible by the Act of God the Obligor is not bound to perform the other part for the Condition shall be taken beneficially for him Coke lib. 5. 22. Dignitie Ecclesiastical DIgnitie Ecclesiastical is a phrase of speech used in the Statute of 26 Hen. 8.
punishes her Officers as Serjeants Pleaders Philizers Exigenters Attornies and others so she renounces and condemns all acts of greatest importance if they be intermixt with Disceit and falshood As if a Fine be levied by Disceit and five years past by the Statute of 4 H. 7. c. 24. all persons and their rights shall be barred thereby yet for that it was by Disceit th â— Fine shall be avoided as is a â—â— dged in Cok. lib. 3. fol. 77. 〈◊〉 the same manner if one â—â— cover Land by Disceit the â—â—â— overy for this shall be fru â—â—â— ated and made void 3 Ed. 3. 2 â— So if a woman that hath good cause to be endowed will by Disceit have the Tenant to be disseised and after recovers her Dower by a Writ of Dower against the Disseisor yet she shall be adjudged in possession against the Disseis â— e but as a Disseisoresse in respect of the Disceit Cok. lib. 5. fol. 35. There is another manner of Writ of Disceit where Land which is auncient demesn is impleaded by the Kings Writ at Westm Then the Lord of the Mannor may have this Writ and reverse all the former proceedings and Iudgment as it appears Rast Ent. 100 221. 2 R. 3. 1 11 H. 4. 36. Discent DIscent or Descent is in two sorts either lineal or collateral Lineal Discent is when a Discent is conveyed in the same Liue of the whole bloud as grandfather father son sons son and so downward Collateral Discent is out in another branch drawn from above of the whole bloud as grandfathers brother fathers brother and so downward Note that if one die seised in fee or in tail of Land in which another hath right to enter and that discends to his Heir such Discent shall take away the Entry of him who hath right to enter for that the Heir hath it by Discent from his father and so by act of the Law and he that hath right cannot put him out by entring upon him but is put to sue his Writ to demand the Land according to the nature of his Title See hereof in Littl. lib. 3. cap. 6. and Stat. 32. H. 8. cap. 33. Disclaimer DIsclaimer is where the Lord distrains his Tenant and he sues a Replevin and the Lord avows the taking by reason he holds of him if the Tenant say that he disclaims to hold of him this is called a Disclaimer and if the Lord thereupon bring in a Writ of Right sur Disclaimer and it be found against the Tenant he shall lose his Land Also if one brings a Praecipe against two others for the Land and the Tenant disclaims and saith that he is not thereof Tenant nor claims any thing therein then the other shall have the whole Land but if the Praecipe be brought against one alone and he disclaims as aforesaid the Writ shall abate yet the Demandant may enter in the Land and hold it in his rightfull estate though his Entry was not lawful And after the Tenant in an Action brought against him disclaims he shall not have a Writ of Error against his own Disclaimer because by it he hath barred himself of his right to the Land for the words of the Disclaimer are He hath nothing neither claims he to have in the Land neither at the day of the bringing of the Original Writ aforesaid c. had or claimed but any thing in the same Land to have he disavows and disclaims and against this he shall not have Restitution by a Writ of Error See Cok. lib. 8. fol. 62. So if a Lord in case where he may disclaims his Seigniory in Court of Record his Seigniory by this is extinct and the Tenant shall hold of the Lord next above him that so disclaimed Lit. sect 146. If Lands be given to the husband and wife in tail or in fee and the husband dies the wife cannot devest the Freehold cut of her by any verbal Waver or Disclaimer in the Countrey as if before any Entry made by her she saith that she altogether waves and disclaims the said Estate and will never take nor accept thereof yet the Free-hold remains in her and she may enter when she pleases So a Charter of Feoffment was made to four and Seisin was delivered to three in the name of all and after the Seisin was delivered the fourth coming sees the Deed and saith by word that he will have nothing of the Land nor agree to the Deed but disclaims and it was adjudged that this Disclaimer by word in the Countrey shall not devest the Freehold out of him Cok. lib. 3. fol. 26. Discontinuance DIscontinuance is when a man alienates to another Lands or Tenements and dies and another hath right to the same Lands and may not enter into them because of this Alienation as if an Abbot alien the Lands of his House to another in fee fee-tail or sor life or if a man alien the Lands that he hath in right of his wife or if Tenant in tail makes of the Lands given to him and the Heirs of his body any Feoffment Gift in tail or Lease for life not warranted by the Statute 32 Hen. 8. by Fine or Livery of seisin then such Alienations are called Discontinuances for such Estates passe away by Livery and seisin In these cases the Successors of the Abbot or the woman after the death of her husband or the issue in tail after the death of the Tenant in tail and they that have any Remainder or Reversion after the end of the Estate-tail may not enter but every of them is put to his Action And as there is Discontinuance of Possession as is said before so also is there Discontinuance of Process or Plea and this is when the instant is lost and may not be regained but by a new Writ to begin the Suit afresh for to be discontinued and to be put without day is all one and nothing else but finally to be dismissed the Court for that time West part 2. tit Fines sect 115. So Crompton in his Jurisdictions fol. 131. uses it in these words If a Justice-seat be discontinued by the not coming of the Justices the King may renew it by his Writ And if the Iustices of any Court do not meet at the day and place appointed then the Cause shall be discontinued unto another day as in Cok. lib. 1 fol. 38. So if a man hath an Action in the Court of the Marshalsea and the King removes forth of the Vierge the Pleas shall be discontinued Cok. lib. 10. fol. 73. See more hereof in Litt. lib. 3. cap. 11. and 32 H. 8. cap. 28. which takes away Discontinuances by the husband seised in right of his wife Disgrading DIsgrading or Degrading is when a man having taken upon him a Dignity temporal or spiritual is afterwards thereof deprived be he Knight Clerk or other Whereof if a Clerk be delivered to his Ordinary and cannot clear himself of the Offence whereof he is convicted by the
of Imprisonment But if a man be arrested upon an Action at the Suit of another though the cause of Action be not good nor true if he make an Obligation to a Stranger being in prison by such Arrest yet it shall not be said by Duresse But if he make an Obligation to him at whose Suit he was arrested to be discharged of such Imprisenment then it shall be said Duresse Duchy IS a Court in the Duchy Chamber of Lancaster at West before the Chancellor del Duchy de Lanc̄ for matters concerning the lands and Franchises of the Duchy and their proceedings are by English bill as in Chancery Co. 4. Inst 204. E. Earlderman EAlderman among the Saxons was as much as Earl among the Danes Camb. Brit. 107. And at this day we call them Aldermen who are Associates to the chief Officer in the Common Council of the Town 34 H. 8. c. 13. And in some places the chief Officer himself is called Alderman Earle EArle See Countee Easement EAsement is a Priviledge that one Neighbour hath of another by Writing or Prescription without profit as a Way or a Sink through his Land or such like Kitch f. 105. Egiptians EGiptians commonly called Gipsies are counterfeit Rogues Welsh or English that disguise themselves in speech and apparel and wander up and down the Country pretending to have skill in telling Fortunes and to deceive the common people but live chiefly by filching and stealing and therefore the Statutes of 1 2 Mar. c. 4. 5 Eliz. c. 20. were made to punish such as Felons if they departed not the Realm or continued so a mouth Ejectione firmae EJectione Firmae Look for that in the Title Quare ejecit infra terminum Ejectment de Gard. Ejectment de Gard. See that in the Title Gards Eigne EIgne is a French word and signifies the Eldest or First-born See Enitia pars Einecia EInecia signifies Eldership Stat. of Ireland Anno 14 H. 3. See Enitia pars Eire Justices EIre Justices or Itinerant as we call them were Iustices that used to ride from place to place throughout the Realm to administer Iustice And these Iustices had authority in ancient times to grant Land that was seised for the King for Alienation without licence for then Iustices in Eire might have granted such Land in fee rendring Rent as Iustices of the Forrest who in effect as to this purpose are Iustices in Eire at this day may of Lands iuclosed within a Forrest without the Kings licence Coke l. 2. fol. 80. Election ELection is when a man is left to his own Free will to take or do one thing or another which he pleases As if A covenants to pay B a pound of Pepper or Saffron before Whitsontide it is at the Election of A at all times before Whitsontide which of them he will pay but if he pays it not before the said Feast then afterward it is at the Election of B of have his Action for which he pleases Dyer f. 18. pl. 104. So if a man gives to another his Horse or Cow the Donee may take the one or the other at his Election But if it be that he will give in the future tense then the Donee cannot take the one nor other for then the Election is in the Donor 21 H. 7. 19. Also if a Iustice of Peace direct his Warrant to a Constable to bring the party apprehended before him or another Iustice it is in the Election of the Constable to go to what Iustice he pleases Coke lib. 5. fol. 59. And so in many other cases Elegit TO hold by Elegit is where a man hath recovered Debt or Dammage by a Writ against another by confession or in other manner he shall have within the year against him a Writ judicial called Elegit to have execution of the half of all his Lands and Chattels except Oxen and Beasts of the plow till the Debt and Dammages be wholly levied and paid him and during this term he is Tenant by Elegit If he be put out within the term he shall have Assise of Novel Disseisin and after a Redisselsin if need be and this is given by the Statute of Wes ◠m. 2. c. 18. And by the equity of the said Statute he that hath this Estate if he be put out shall have Assise and Redisseisin if need be And also if he make his Executors and die and his Executors enter and after are put out they shall have such Action as he himself And if he be put out and after make his Executors and die his Executors may enter and if they be stopped of their Entry they shall have a Writ of Trespasse upon their Case If he do Waste in all the Land or parcel the other shall have against him immediately a Writ judicial out of the first Record called Venire facias ad computandum by which it shall be enquired if he have levied all the money or parcel and if he have not levied the money then it shall be enquired to how much the Waste amounts and if the Waste amount but to parcel then as much of the money as the Waste amounts unto shall be abridged of the aforesaid money which was to be levied But if he have done more Waste then the aforesaid summ of money which was to be levied amounts to the other shall be discharged forthwith of all the said money and shall recover the Land And for the superfluity of the Waste made above the said summ he shall recover his dammages single The same Law is of his Executors and of him that hath his Estate Or if the Debtor be satisfied by digging Coals Load Tyn or oeher casual profits See the Stat. 32 H. 8. c. 5. If all the Lands extended be evicted from the Debtor by a better title he may take a new Execution Co. 4. Rep. 66. If he alien in fee for term of life or in tail all or parcel of the Land which he holds by Elegit if the Alienation be made within the term or after he who hath right shall have against him an Assise of Novel Disseisin And they both must be put in the Assise the Alienor and the Alience and though the Alienor d ◠e presently yet he who hath right shall have Assise against the Alienee alone as if the Alienee had been a plain Tenant for term of years And that is by the equity of the Statute of Westm 2. cap. 25. for that he hath but a Chattel in effect And the same Law is of his Executors and of him who hath his Estate as is aforesaid In Elegit if the Sherif return that the party hath nothing the day of the Recognizance made but that he purchased Lands after the time then the Plaintiff shall have a new Writ to have Execution thereof The same Law is of a Statute-Merchant After a Fieri facias a man may have the Elegit but not contrariwise for that the Elegit is of a higher nature then the
Fieri facias If a man recover by a Writ of Debt and sue a Fieri facias and the Sheriff return that the Defendant hath nothing whereof he may satisfie the Debt to the party then the Plaintiff shall have Elegit or Capias sicut alias and a Pluries And if the Sheriff return at the Caplas Mitto vobis corpus and he have nothing whereof he may make satisfaction to the party he shall be sent to the prison of the Fleet and there abide untill he have made Agreement with the party and if the Sheriff return Non est inventus then there shall go forth an Exigent against him Note well That in a Writ of Debt brought against a Parson who hath nothing of Lay-Fee and the Sheriff returns that he may not be summoned then shall the Plaintiff sue a Writ to the Bishop to cause his Clerk to come and the Bishop shall make him come by Sequestration of the Church And if a man bring a Writ of Debt and recover and make his Executors and die they shall not have Execution notwithstanding it be within the year be a Fieri facias There is another sort of Elegit upon adjudging execution against Terr-tenants which Elegits recite the lands against which Execution is adjudged and commands the Sheriff to deliver to the Creditor a moyty of those Lands and nothing is therein mentioned of any Goods or Chattels as in the other Elegits Elopement ELopement is when a married woman departs from her husband and dwells with an Adulterer for which without voluntary reconcilement to her husband she shall lose her Dower by the Statute of West 2. cap. 34. Whereupon is this old Verse The woman that her husband leaves And with Adult'ry is defil'd Her Dower she shall want unless She first to him be reconcil'd Embleaments EMbleaments are the Profits of the Land which have been sowed and in some cases he who sowed them shall have them and in some not as if Tenant for life sow the Land and afterwards die the Executors of the Tenant for life shall have the Embleaments and not he in Reversion But if Tenant for years sow the Land and before that he hath reap'd his term expires there the Lessor or he in Reversion shall have the Embleaments If one desseises me and cuts the Embleaments growing upon the Land and afterwards I re-enter I shall have an Action of Trespasse against him for the Embleaments but if my Disseisor makes a Feoffment in fee or leases the Land whereof he disseised me and the Feoffee or Lessee takes the Embleaments and after I re-enter I shall not have Trespass Vi armis against them who come in by Title but against my Disseisor Cok. lib. 11. f. 51. If a woman Copiholder during her Widowhood according to the Custome of the Mannor sows the Land and before severance of the Embleaments she takes a husband the Lord shall have the Embleaments So if a woman seised of Land during her Widowhood makes a Lease for years and the Lessee sows the Land and the woman takes a husband there the Lessee shall not have the Embleaments although his Estate be determined by the act of a stranger And although it is commonly held in our Books That if a man leases Lands at will and after the Lessee sows the Land and then the Will is determined that the Lessee shall have the Embleaments yet if the Lessee himself determines the Will before the severance of the Corn. he shall not have the Embleaments See Cok. lib. 5. fol. 116. Embrasour or Embraceour EMbrasour or Embraceour is he that when a matter is in trial between party and party comes to the Barrs with one of the parties having received some reward so to do and speaks in the case or privily labours the Iury or stands there to survey or overlook them thereby to put them in fear and doubt of the matter But persons learned in the Law may speak in the case for their clients Emparlance EMparlance is when a man being to answer to a Suit or Action desires some time of Respite to advise himself the better what he shall answer and it is nothing else but a Continuance of the Cause untill a fatther day And though the Plaintiff in the Kings Bench after the Barre pleaded hath time to reply two or three Terms after yet no mention shall be made in the Roll of any Emparlance or Continuance but the Entry shall be general and so intended to be the same Term. But it is otherwise with a Barre for it contains the Emparlance or Continuance and is in this manner And now at this day that is Friday c in the same Term untill which day the aforesaid A had licence to imparle c. But there is no such Entry upon any Replication or Rejoynder See Coke lib. 5. fol. 75. Brit. cap. 53. uses this word for the Conference of a Iury upon the business to them committed There is a special Imparlance also for a Defendant salvis sibi omnibus omnimodis exceptionibus ad breve narrationem or ad billam which is of use where the Defendant is to plead some matters which cannot be pleaded after a general imparlance Encheson ENcheson is a French word much used in our Law Books as in the Statute of 50 E. 3. cap. 3 and it signifies as much as the Occasion cause or reason for which any thing is done So it is used by Stamford lib. 1. cap. 12. in his description of a Deodand Encrochment ENcrochment comes from the French word Acrocher that is to Pull or draw to And it signifies an Vnlawfull gaining upon the right or possession of another And so a Rent is said to be encroched when the Lord by Distresse or otherwise compells the Tenant to pay more Rent then he ought or then he need See Bucknal's Case 9 Rep ' fol. 33. So when a man sees his Hedge or his Wall too far into the land or ground of his neighbour that lies next him he is said to incroach upon him Enditement or Indictment INdictment comes of the French Enditer that is to set a man out as he is And it is a Bill or Declaration in form of Law exhibited by way of Accusation against one for some offence either criminal or penal and preferred to Iurors and by their Verdict found and presented to be true before a Iudge or Officer that hath power to punish or certifie the Offence Endowment ENdowment Dotatio signifies properly the Giving or assuring of Dower to a woman But it is sometimes by a Metaphor used for the Setting out or severing of a sufficient part or portion to a Vicar for his perpetual maintenance when the Benefice is appropriated And so it is used in the Statutes of 15 R. 2. cap. 6. and 4 H. 4. cap. 12. Endowment de la pluis belle part ENdowment de la c. is when a man dies seeised of some Lands held in Knights-service and others in
between Rent and Common is good and that ought to be by Deed. Also it behoves alway that this word Exchange be in the Deed or else nothing passes by it except he have Livery and Seisin Exchequer EXchequer See Exchequer Excommengement EXcommengement is to say in Latine Excommunicatio and it is where a man by judgment in Court Christian is Excommenged by which he is disabled to sue any Action in the Kings Court and if he remain Excommunicate xl days and will not be justified by his Ordinary then the Bishop shall send his Letter Patent to the Chancellour to certifie this excommunication or contempt and thereupon the Sheriff shall be commanded to take the Body of him that is Accursed by a Writ called De Excommunicato capiendo till he hath made satisfaction to holy Church for the Contempt and Wrong and when he is justified the Bishop shall send his Letters to the King certifying the same and then the Sheriff shall be commanded to deliver him by a Writ called Excommunicato deliberando See the Statute 5 Eliz. cap. 23. Excommunication EXcommunication See Excommengement Execution EXecution is where Iudgment is given to any Action that the Plaintiff shall recover the Land Debt or Dammages as the case is and when any Writ is awarded to put him in possession or to do any other thing whereby the Plaintiff should the better be satisfied his Debt or Dammages that is called a Writ of Extention and when he hath the possession of the Land or is paid the Debt or Damages or hath the Body of the Defendant awarded to prison then he hath Execution And if the Plea be in the County or Court-Baron or Hundred and they defer the execution of the Iudgment in favor of the party or for other cause the Demandant shall have a Writ De Executione Judicii Note that in a Writ of Debt a man shall not have Recovery of any Lands but of those which the Defendant hath the day of the Iudgment yielded And of Chattels a man shall have execution only of the Chattels which he hath the day of the execution sued Executione facienda EXecutione facienda is a Writ commanding Execution of a Iudgment the divers uses whereof see in the Table of the Reg. Judic Executor EXecutor is when a Man makes his Testament and last Will and therein names the person that shall execute his Testament that is his Executor and is as much in the Civil Law as Haeres designatus or Testamentarius as to Debts Goods and Chattels of his Testator and such an Executor shall have an Action against every Debtor of his Testator and if the Executor hath Assets every one to whom the Testator was in Debt shall have an Action against him if he have an Obligation or Specialty but in every case where the Testator might wage his Law no Action lies against the Executor See hereof before in the Title Administrators And if any other person not made Executor take or sell the Goods of the deceased he may be sued as Executor of his own wrong in the same form as other Executor See the Statute of 30 Car. 2. cap. 7. Exemplification EXemplification is when a man will have any Original Record written out and exemplified forth of the Court where it remains to which purpose he may have a Writ as appiert by the Reg. orig f. 290. And if a man will plead a Record in other Court then where it remains it behoves him to have it exemplified under the Great Seal of England for if it be exemplified under the Seal of the Common Pleas Exchequer or such like it will not serve unless in Evidence to a Iury. See Coke l. 5. f. 53. See the Statute of 13 Eliz. cap. 6. and 23 El. 3. The force and use of Exemplifications of Patents c. Exemption EXemption is a priviledge to be Free from Service or Apparance and therefore a Baron Baronness by reason of their Dignity are exempted to be sworn upon any Inquest Coke l. 6. f. 53. Also Knights Clerks and Women are exempted to appear at Leets or the Sheriffs Tourn And that is by the Statute of Marlebridge c. 10. And a man may be exempted from being put upon Enquests and Iuries by the Kings Letters Patents as the President and Colledge or Commonalty of Physicians in London were by the Letters Patents of King H. 8. Coke l. 8. f. 108. Ex gravi querela EX gravi querela See before in the Title Devise Exigent EXigent is a Writ that lies where a man sues an Action personal and the Defendant cannot be found nor hath any thing within the County whereby he may be attached or distrained then this Writ shall go forth to the Sheriff to make Proclamation at five Counties every one after another that he appear or else that he shall be out-lawed and if he be outlawed then all his Goods and Chattels are forfeit to the King In an Indictment of Felony the Exigent shall go forth after the first Capias And in a Capias ad computandum or ad satisfaciendum and in every Capias that goes forth after Iudgment the Exigent shall go forth after the first Capias And also in Appeal of Death but not in an Appeal of Robbery or Mayhem With this Exigent issueth also a writ by the Statute of 13 El. cap. 3. to make three Proclamations against the Defendant which is not in Exigents after Iudgment Exigenter EXigenter is an Officer of the Common Pleas of which there are four They make out all Exigents and Proclamations in all Actions in which process of Outlawry lies And they make writs of Supersedeas as well as the Preignotaries upon such Exigents as were made in their Office Of this Officer there is mention made in the Statutes of 10 H. 6. c. 4. 18 H. 6. c. 9. Ex mero motu EX mero motu are words frequently used in the Kings Charters whereby he signifies that he doth that which is contained in the Charter of his own will and motion without Petition or Suggestion made by any other and the effect of these words is to bar all exceptions that might be taken to the Instrument wherein they are contained by alledging that the King in passing that Charter was abused by any false Suggestion Kitch f. 151. And when the Kings Charter hath therein these words it shall be taken most strongly against the King therefore if the King ex mero motu pardon to B. all his debts all the debts that B. ows as Sheriff are by this pardoned and in like manner it is in many other cases where these words shall be taken as strongly against the Kings as if a common person had made the Grant See Coke l. 1. f. 45. Ex parte talis Ex parte talis See before Tit. Account Expeditate EXpeditate is a word often used in the Forrest signifying to cut out the Balls of great Dogs feet for preservation of the Kings Game And
one of the Articles to be enquired touching the Forrest is If all great Dogs or Mastives in the Forest are Expeditated according to the Laws of the Forrest and if any be not the Owner of every such Dog shall forfeit to the King three shillings and four pence Cromp. Jurisd fol. 152. Manwood uses the same word and part 1. of his Forrest Law fol. 212. sets down the manner of expeditating Dogs heretofore which was that the three Claws of the Fore-foot on the right side shall be cut off by the skin whereunto he also adds out of the Ordinance called the Assise of the Forrest that the same manner of expeditating Dogs shall be still used and kept and none other Quaere whence it arises that Crompton and he differ the one saying the Ball of the foot is cut out the other that the three Fore-claws are cut off by the skin Expensis Militum levandis EXpensis Militum levandis is a Writ directed to the Sheriff for levying the Allowance for the Knights of the Parliament Regist orig fol. 191. b. And Expensis Militum non levandis de hominibus de Antiquo Dominico nec a Nativis is a Writ to prohibit the Sheriff to levy any Allowance for the Knights of the County upon such as hold in Ancient Demesne c. Ibidem fol. 261. b. Extend EXtend is to value the Lands or Tenements of one bound by Statute c. that hath forfeited it and to deliver them to the Conusee at such indifferent rates as that by the yearly Profits the Conusee in time may be satisfied his Debt See Fitz. Nat. B. fol. 131. and Coke lib. 4. fol. 67. Fulwoods Case Extent EXtent has two significations The one is a Writ or Commission to the Sheriff for the valuing of Lands or Tenements the other the act of the Sheriff or other Commissioner upon that Writ Broke tit Extent fol. 313. Extinguishment EXtinguishment is where a Lord or any other hath any Rent or Service going out of any Land and he purchases the same Land so that he hath such Estate in the Land as he hath in the Rent then the Rent is extinct for that one may not have Rent going out of his own Land Also when any Rent shall be extinct the Land and the Rent must be in one hand the Estate indefesible and he have as good Estate in the Land as in the Rent for if he have Estate in the Land but for Life or Years and hath Fee-simple in the Rent then the Rent is not extinct but in suspence for that time and after the term the Rent is revided If there be Lord Mesne and Tenant and the Lord purchase the Tenancy the Mesnalty is extinct but the Mesne shall have the surplusage of the Rent if there be any as Rent-seck Also if a man have a High-way appendant and after purchase the Land wherein the High-way is then the Way is extinct and so it is of a Common appendant Extortion EXtortion is wrong done by any Officer Ordinary Archdeacon Official Major Bailiff Sheriff Escheator Coroner Under-Sheriff Goaler or other Officer by colour of his Office by taking excessive Reward or Fee for execution of his Office or otherwise and is no other thing indeed then plain Robbery or rather more odious then Robbery for Robbery is apparent and always hath with it the countenance of Vice but Extortion being as great a Vice as Robbery is carries with it a countenance of Vertue by means whereof it is the more hard to be tried or discerned and therefore the more odious And yet some there are that will not stick to stretch their Office Credit and Conscience to purchase Mony as well by Extortion as otherwise according to the saying of the Poet Virgil What is it that the greedy thirst of Gol ◠doth not constrain mortals to attempt F. Faculty FAculty is a word often used in the Statute of 25 Hen. 8. cap. 21. and it signifies a Priviledge or special Dispensation granted unto a man by favour and indulgence to do that which by the Law he cannot do as to eat Flesh upon days forbidden or to hold two or more Ecclesiastical Livings and the like And for the granting of these Faculties there is a special Officer under the Arch-bishop of Canterbury called The Master of the Faculties Failing of Record FAiling of Record is when an Action is brought against one who pleads any matter of Record and avers to prove it by Record and the Plaintiff saith there is no such Record whereupon the Defendant hath day given him to bring in the Record at which day he fails or brings in such a one as is no Bar to this Action then he is said to fail of his Record and thereupon the Plaintiff shall have Iudgment to recover c. Faint Action Faint Pleading FAint Action as Littleton fol. 154. saith is as much as to say in English a Fained Action that is such Action as though the words of the Writ be true yet for certain causes he hath no title by the Law to recover by the same Action And a false Action is where the words of the Writ are false So Faint Pleading is a covinous false and collusory manner of Pleading to the deceit of a third party And against such Faint Pleading amongst other things the old Statute in 3 E. 1. cap. 29. seems to be made Deed. DEed is a Writing sealed and delivered to prove and testifie the agreement of the party whose Deed it is to the thing contained in the Deed as a Deed of Feoffment is a Proof of the Livery of Seisin for the Land passes by the Livery of Seisin but when the Deed and the Delivery are joyned together that is a proof of the Livery and that the Feoffor is contented that the Feoffee shall have the Land All Deeds are either Indented whereof there are two three or more parts as the ease requires of which the Feoffor Grantor or Lessor hath one the Feoffee Grantee or Lessee another and peradventure some other body a third c. Or else they are Poll Deeđs single and but one which the Feoffee Grantee or Lessee hath c. And every Deed consists of three principal Points without which it is no perfect Deed to bind the parties namely Writing Sealing and Delivery 1. By Writing is shewed the parties Names to the Deed their Dwelling-places their Degrees the Thing granted upon what Considerations the Estate limited the Time when it was granted and whether simply or upon Condition with other such like Circumstances But whether the parties to the Deed write in the end their Names or set to their Marks as it is commonly used it matters not at all as I think for that is not meant where it is said that every Deed ought to have Writing 2. Sealing is a farther Testimony of their Consents to what is contained in the Deed as it appears in these words In Witness whereof c. or to such effect
Forestall FOrestall is to be quit of Amerciaments and Cattels arrested within your Land and the Amerciaments thereof coming Founder FOunder is he that uses the Art of Melting or Dissolving Metals and making any thing thereof by casting in Molds He seems to have his name from the Latine word Fundere and is mentioned in the Statute of 17 R. 2. cap. 1. Fourcher FOurcher is a device used to delay the Plaintiff or Demandant in a Suit against two who thereto are not to answer till they both appear and the Appearance or Essoin of one will excuse the others Default at that day and they agree that the one shall be essoined or appear one day and for lack of the Appearance of the other have day over to appear and the other party shall have the same day and at that day the other will appear or be essoined and he that appeared or was essoined before will not then appear because he hoped to have another day by the Adjournment of the party who then appeared or was essoined This is called Fourcher and in some cases the mischief thereby is remedied by the Statute of Gloucest cap. 10. and Westm̄ 1. cap. 42. Franchise FRanchise is a French word and signifies in our Law an Immunity or Exemption from ordinary Iurisdiction as for a Corporation to hold Pleas within themselves to such a value and the like See of this in the Old Nat. Brev. fol. 4. a b. Franchise Royal. FRanchise Royal is where the King grants to one and his Heirs that they shall be quit of Toll or such like Free Almes FRee Almes is where in ancient times Lands were given to an Abbot and his Covent or to a Dean and his Chapter and to their Successors in pure and perpetual Almes without expressing any Service certain this is Frank-almoigne and such are bound before God to make Oraisons and Prayers for the Donor and his Heirs and therefore they do no Fealty and if such as have Lands in Frank-almoigne perform no Prayers nor Divine Service for the Souls of the Donors they shall not be compelled by the Donors to do it but the Donors may complain to the Ordinary praying him that such negligence be no more and the Ordinary of right ought to redress it But if an Abbot c. holds Lands of his Lord for certain Divine Service to be done as to sing every Friday a Mass or do some other thing if such Divine Service be not done the Lord may distrain and in such case the Abbot ought to do Fealty to the Lord and therefore it is not said Tenure in Frank-almoign but Tenure by Divine-Service for none can hold by Frank-almoign if any certain Service be expressed Frank Bank FRank Bank or Free Bench are copihold-Copihold-Lands which the Wife being married a Virgin hath after the decease of her husband for her Dower Kitch f. 102. Bract lib. 4. tract 6. cap. 13. num 2. hath these words There is a custom in those parts that the Wives their Husbands being dead should have Frank Bank of Lands of Sockmans and hold it in name of Dower Fitzh calls this a Custome by which in some Cities the Wife shall have all the Lands of her Husband for Dower N. B. fol. 150. See Plow fol. 411. Frank Chase FRank Chase is a Liberty by which all men having Land within this compass are prohibited to cut down the Wood or discover c. without the view of the Forrester although it be his own Crom. Jur. f. 187. Frank Fee TO hold in Frank Fee is to hold in Fee-simple Lands pleadable at the Common Law and not in ancient Demesne Frank Law FRank Law See Crom. Just of Peace f. 151. where you may find what this is by the contrary for he that for an Offence as Conspiracy loses his Frank Law is said to fall into these Mischiefs First that he shall never be Impanelled upon any Iury or Assize or otherwise used in saying any Truth Also if he have any thing to do in the Kings Court he shall not approach thither in person but must appoint his Attourney 3 His Lands Goods and Chattels are to be seised into the Kings hands and his Lands must be estrepped his Trees rooted up and his Body committed to prison Free Marriage FRee Marriage is when a man seised of Land in Fee-simple gives it to another man and his wife who is the daughter sister or otherwise of kin to the Donor in Free Marriage by virtue of which wards they have an Estate in special tail and shall hold the Land of the Donor quit of all manner of Services until the fourth degree be past accounting themselves in the first degree except Fealty which they shall do because it is incident to all Tenures saving Free alms And such Gift may be made as well after Marriage solemnized as before And a man may give Lands to his Soir in Free Marriage as well as to his Daughter by the opinion of Fitzh in his Writ of Champertie H. But it appears otherwise in Littleton and in Broke tit Frank-marriage pla 10. And so it was holden clear in Grays-Inne in Lent an 1576. 18 Eliz. by M. Rhodes then Reader there Frank-plege FRank-plege signifies a Pledge or Surety for Free-men according to the ancient Custom of England for preservation of the publick Peace See the Statute for View of Frank-pledge Anno 18 Ed. 2. and see View of Frank-pledge Free-hold FRee-hold is an Estate that a man hath in Lands or Tenements or Profit to be taken in Fee-simple Tail for term of his own or anothers life in Dower or by the Courtesse of England and under that there is no Free-hold for he that hath Estate for years or holds at will hath no Free-hōld but they are called Chatels And of Free-holds there are two sorts viz. Free-hold in Deed and Free-hold in Law Free-hold in Deed is when a man hath entred into Lands or Tenements and is seised thereof really and actually As if the Father seised of Lands or Teuements in Fee-simple dies and his son enters into the same as heir to his Father then he hath a Free-hold in Deed by his Entry Free-hold in Law is when Lands or Tenements are discended to a man and he may enter into them when he will but hath not yet made his Entry in Deed As in the case aforesaid if the Father being seised of Lands in Fee die seised and they discend to his Son but the Son hath not entred into them in Deed now befo rt his Entry he hath a Free-hold in Law French-man FRench-man was wont to be used for every Outlandish-man Bracton Lib. 3. Tract 2. cap. 15. See Engleshery Frendless man FRendless man was the old Saxon word for him we call an Outlaw nam forisfecit Amcos suos Bracton Lib. 3. Tract 2. cap. 12. Fresh Force FResh Force Frisca Forcia is a force committed in any City or Borough as by Disseisin Abatement Intrusion or Deforcement of any Lands or
only But the Gardian in Socage hath the profit only to the use of the Heir until he accomplish the age of 14 years and must yield therefore an account to the Heir See more hereof Littleton lib. 2. cap. 4 5. and Stamford upon the Statute of Prerogat cap. 1 2 6. Church-wardens CHurch-wardens are Officers chosen in every Parish to have the care and custody of the Church Goods and they may have an Action for the Goods of the Church and divers other things they may do for the benefit of the Church and by the Statute of 43 Eliz. cap. 2. they are to joyn with the Overseers for the making of Rates and other Provisions for the Poor of the Parish Gardian of the Spiritualties GArdian of the Spiritualties by the general Law is the Dean and Chapter of the Diocess unless there be a Custom that the Arch-bishop of the Province should be the Gardein sede vacante His office is to hold Courts prove Wills grant Administrations and supply the Bishops room Garnishment GArnishment If an Action of Detinue of Charters be brought against one and the Defendant saith that the Charters were delivered to him by the Plaintiff and by another upon certain Conditions and prays That the other may be warned to plead with the Plaintiff if the Conditions be performed or no and thereupon a Writ of Scire facias shall go forth against him this is called Garnishment and the other when he comes shall plead with the Plaintiff and that is called Enterpleader Garranty GArranty is when one is bound to another who hath Land to warrant the same to him which may be two ways that is by Deed of Law As if one and his Ancestors hath held Land of another and his Ancestors time out of mind by Homage which is called Homage Auncestrel Or by Deed of the party who grants by Deed or Fine to the Tenant of the Land to Warrant it to him upon which if the Tenant be impleaded by him who ought to warrant or his Heirs the Tenant shall bar the Demandant by pleading the Warranty against him which is called Rebutter or if he be impleaded by another in an Action wherein he may vouch he shall vouch him who warranted or his Heirs and if the Plaintiff recover the Tenant shall recover in value against the Voucher Garranty is of three sorts that is Garranty Lineal Garranty Collateral and Garranty that begins by Disseisin Warranty Lineal is where a man seised in fee or in tail makes a Feoffment to another and binds him and his heirs to Warranty and hath issue a son and dies and the warranty disceuds to his son For if no Deed with Warranty had been made then the right of the Lands should have discended to the son as heir to his father and he shall convey the Discent from the father to the son But if Tenant in tail discontinues the tail and hath issue and dies and the Vncle of the Issue releases to the Discontinuee with Warranty c. and dies without issue this is a Collateral Warranty to issue in tail for that the Warranty discends upon the Issue who may not convey himself to the tail by mean of his Vncle. And in every Case where a man demands Lands in Fee-tail by Writ of Formedon if any Ancestor of the Issue in tail makes a Warranty and he that sues a Writ of Formedon by possibility of matter that may be done conveys to him Title by force of his Gift that made the Warranty c. that is then a Lineal Warranty whereby the Issue in tail shall not be barred except he have Assets to him discended in Fee-simple But if he may not by any possibility convey to him Title by force of his Gift that made the warranty then that is a Collateral Warranty and thereby the Issue in tail shall be barred without any Assets And the cause that such a Collateral Warranty is a Bar to the Issue in the tail is for that all Warranties before the Statute of Gloucester which discended to those who are Heirs to the warrantors were Bars to the same Heirs to demand any Lands except the warranties that began by Disseisin and for that the said Statute hath ordained That the warranty of the Father shall be no Bar to his Son for the Lands which come by the Heritage of the Mother nor the Warranty of the Mother shall be no Bar to the Son for the Lands which come by the Heritage of the Father and neither the Stat. 11 H. 7. cap. 20. nor any other Statute hath ordained any remedy against any other Collateral Warranty therefore such Warranty is yet in force and shall be a bar to the Issue in tail as it was before the Statute And it behoves that every Warranty whereby the Heir shall be barred discend by course of the Common Law to him who is Heir to the Warrantor else it shall be no Bar for if the Tenant in Tail of Lands in Borough English where the youngest son shall Inherit by the Custome discontinues the tail and hath Issue two sons and the Vncle releases to the Discontinuee with Warranty and dies and the younger Son brings a Formedon yet he shall not be barred by such Warranty causa qua supra And if any man make a Deed with Warranty whereby his Heir should be barred and after the Warrantor be attaint of Felony his Heir shall not be barred by such Warranty for that such Warranty cannot discend upon him the blood being corrupt Warranty beginning by Disfeisin is if the son purchase Lands and let them to his Father for years and the Father by the Deed infeoffs a stranger and binds him and his Heirs to Warranty and the Father dies whereby the warranty discends to the son yet this warranty shall not bar the son but the son may well enter notwithstanding because this Warranty began by Disseisin when the Father made the Feoffment which was a Disseisin to the son And as it is said of the Father so it may be said of every other Ancestor And the same Law is if the Ancestor be Tenant by Elegit or by Statute-Merchant and make a Feoffment with warranty such Warranties shall be no Bars because they begin by Disseisin Garranty of Charters GArranty of Charters is a Writ that lies where any Deed is made that comprehends a clause of Warranty that is to say Dedi or Concessi or this word Warrantizabo and if the Tenant be impleaded by a Stranger in Assise or such Action where he may not vouch to warranty then he shall hate this Writ against his Feoffor or his Heir and if the Land be recovered against him he shall recover as much Land in value against him that made the Warranty But this Writ ought to be sued depending the first Writ against him else he hath lost his advantage Also upon a Warranty in the Law as upon Homage auncestrel or upon Rent reserved upon a Lease for Life or a
King certain Land by the Service of carrying his Banner or Launce or to lead his Host or to be his Carver or Butler at his Coronation or the like and that is the most Honorable Service that a Tenant may do and for that it is called Grand Serjeanty But Petit Serjeanty is when one holds of the King paying him yearly a Bow a Sword a Spear or such like and that is but Socage in effect but a man cannot hold in Grand Serjeanty or Petit Serjeanty but of the King Also if a Tenant by Grand Serjeanty dies his Heir being of full age shall pay to the King for Relief the value of the Lands besides the charges that he pays to the King by Grand Serjeanty but he that holds by Escuage shall pay for his Relief but C. 5. Those that are in the Marches of Scotland who hold of the King by Cornage that is to blow an Horn when the Scots enter England are Tenants in Grand Serjeanty Also where a man holds of the King to find a man in his Wars within the Realm that is called Grand Serjeanty because it is done by a mans Body And if the Tenant cannot find a man to do it he is bound to do it himself But see the Stat. 12 Car. 2. c. 24. whereby all Tenures are now turned into Free and Common Socage Gree. GRee comes of the French word Gre good liking and it signifies in our Law Contentment or Satisfaction as in the Statute of 1 R. 2. c. 15. to make Gree to the parties is to give them Contentment or Satisfaction for an Offence done unto them Green hew GReen hew is all one with Vert as appears by Manwood in his Forest Laws cap. 6. sect 5. And for it see Vert. Green Wax GReen Wax is a word used in the Statutes of 42 E. 3. c. 9. and 7 H. 4. c. 3. and signifies the Estreats of Issues Fines and Amerciaments in the Exchequer and delivered out to the Sheriffs under the Seal of the Court to be levied by them in their several Counties Grithbreach GRithbreach that is the Kings Peace broken because Grith in English is Pax in Latine Gule of August GUle of August is the first day or the Calends of August which in the time of E. 1. and E. 3. was called ordinarily the Gule of August as appears by F. N. B. f. 62. l. and Plowdens Com. f. 316. b. It is the very day of S. Peter ad vincula and the reason why it was called the Gule of August is conceived upon a Story recorded by Durandus in his Rationale Divinorum l. 7. c. 19. of a Miracle wrought by S. Peter's Chain upon the daughter of one Quirinus a Tribune of Rome who by the kissing of that Chain was healed of the Kings Evil in her Throat gula And see Hospinian de origine festornm f. 85. b. Gultwit GUltwit is an Amends for Trespass according to Saxton in his Description of England c. 11. H. Habeas Corpus HAbeas Corpus is a writ which a man indited of any Trespass before Iustices of the Peace or in a Court of any Franchise and upon his Apprehenston being laid in Prisost for the same may have out of the Kings Bench thereby to remove himself hither at his own Costs and to answer the Cause there F. N. B. f. 250. h. And the order in this case is first to procure a Certiorari out of the Chancery directed to the said Iustices for the removing of the Indictment into the Kings Bench and upon that to procure this writ to the Sheriff to cause his Body to be brought at a day Reg. Judic f. 81. where you may find many cases wherein this writ shall be used Habeas Corpora HAbeas Corpora is a writ which lies against a Iury or any of them that refuse to come upon the Venire facias for the Trial of a Cause brought to issue Habendum HAbendum is a word of form in a Conveyance to the true understanding whereof it is to be observed That in every Deed or Conveyance there are two principal parts the Premisse and the Habendum The Office of the Premisses is to express the Name of the Grantor the Grantee and the thing to be granted The Office of the Habendum is to limit the Estate so that the general Implication of the Estate which by construction of Law passes in the Premisses is by the Habendum controlled and qualified as in a Lease to two men Habendum to the one for life the Remainder to the other for life alters the general Implication of the Joynt-tenancy in the Free-hold which passes by the Premisses if the Habendum were not See Coke l. 2. c. 55. HAbere facias Seisinam Habere facias Seisinam is a Writ Iudicial that lies where one hath recovered certain Lands in the Kings Court then he shall have this writ directed to the Sheriff commanding him to give him Seisin of that Land and it shall not be retornable Habere facias Visum HAbere facias Visum is a writ that lies in divers Cases where view is to be taken of the Lands or Tenements in question See F. N. B. In Indice verbo View Bract. l. 5. tract 3. c. 8. Half-blood HAlf blood See Demysank Half Seal HAlf Seal is a Seal used in Chancery for the Sealing of Commissions to Delegates upon an Appeal in a Cause civil or marine as it appears by the Statute made in 8 Eliz. c. 3. Halymote HAlymote is a Court-Baron as appears by Manwood in his Forest Laws c. 23. f. 217. a. And it is called Halymote that is the Meeting of the Tenants of one Hall or Mannor Hambling or Hoxing of Dogs HAmbling or Hoxing or Hock-sinewing of Dogs are old Forrest terms for the Lawing of Dogs when the Custom was as appears in Manwood's Forrest Laws c. 16. sect 12. to cut or gash Dogs in the Hamms but now they use to do it in their Feet Of which see Expeditate Hand-gun HAnd-gun is an Engine which is prohibited to be used and carryed about by the Statute of 33 H. 8. c. 6. And though a Dag was invented of late time and after the making of the said Act and is not known by the name of Hand-gun but a special name yet the carrying of a Dag is within the said Act and comprehended within the word Hand-gun So whereas Cross-bows are forbidden by the said Act thereby Stone-bows are also forbidden See Coke l. 5. f. 71 72. Hangwit HAngwit is to be quit of a Thief or Felon hanged without Iudgment or escaped out of your custody Hanper HAnper of the Chancery Anno 10 R. 2. c. 1. seems to signifie as Fiscus originally does in Latine Haque HAque is a little Hand-gun of three quarters of a yard long and it is mentioned in the Statutes of 33 H. 8. c. 6. and 2 3 E. 6. c. 14. There is also mention made of an half Haque Haquebut HAquebut is a Gun mentioned in the
who is therefore called the Incumbent of that Church because he doth bend all his study to the discharge of the Cure there Indicavit INdicavit is a Writ or Prohibition that lies for the Patron of a Church whose Clerk is Defendant in Court-Christian in an Action for Tithes commenced by another Clerk and extending to the fourth part of the Church or of its Tithes in which case the Suit belongs to the Kings Court by Westm 1. c. 5. Wherefore the Defendants Patron being like to be prejudiced in his Church and Advowson if the Plaintiff obtain in the Court-Christian has this means to remove it to the Kings Court Reg. orig fol. 35. and Britton c. 109. This Writ is not returnable but if they cease not their Suit he shall have an Attachment Inditement INditement See Enditement Indorsement INdorsement is that which is written upon the Back of a Deed as the Condition of an Obligation is said to be indorsed because it is commonly written on the Back of the Obligation Induction INduction is a lay act made by prescept of the Ordinary by which actual possession of the Church is given to the Rector or Vicar after his Presentation and Institution to it Infangtheef INfangtheef is a Priviledge or Liberty granted to Lords of certain Mannors to judge any Thief taken within their Fee Information INformation for the King is that which for a common person is called a Declaration and is not always done directly by the King or his Attorney but rather by some other man who sues as well for the King as for himself upon the breach of some penal Law or Statute wherein a Penalty is given to the party that will sue for the same but no Action of Debt to recover it therefore it must be had by Information Ingrosser INgrosser comes of the French word Grosier that is one that sells by Whole-sale But in our Law an Ingrosser is one that buys Corn Grain Butter Cheese Fish or other dead Victuals with an intent to sell the same again And so he is defined in the Stat. of 5 E. 6. c. 14. made against such Ingrossing Inheritance INheritance See Enheritance Inhibition INhibition is a Writ to inhibit a Iudge to proceed farther in the Cause depending before him And there is another Writ where after the Kings Presentment to a Benefice he presents another and inhibiteth the Bishop to give Induction to the first Presentee Plo. Com. 528. See F. N. B. f. 39. where he puts Prohibition and Inhibition together Inhibition is most commonly a Writ issuing forth of an higher Court-Cheistian to a lower and inferiour upon an Appeal Anno 24 H. 8. c. 12. and Prohibition out of the Kings Court of Record at Westminster to a Court-Christian or to an inferiour Temporal Court Injunction INjunction is an interlocutory Decree out of the Chancery sometimes to give Possession to the Plaintiff for defect of Apparance in the Defendant sometimes to the ordinary Courts of the King and sometimes to the Court-Christian to stay Proceeding in a Cause upon suggestiou made that if the rigor of the Law take place it is against Equity and Conscience in that Case See West part 2. tit Proceedings in Chancery sect 25. Inlagary INlagary or Inlagation is a Restitution of one outlawed to the Kings Protection or to the benefit condition of a Subject Inlaugh INlaugh signifies him that is sub Lege in some Frank-pledge not out-lawed of whom see Bract. l. 3. tract 2. c. 11. Inmates INmates are those persons of one Family that are suffered to come and dwell in one Cottage together with another Family by which the poor of the Parish will be increased And therefore by the Statute of 31 Eliz. c. 7. there is a Penalty of ten shillings a Month set upon every one that shall receive or continue such an Iumate Inquisition INquisition See Enquest Inrolment INrolment is the Registring Recording or Entring of any Act or Deed in the Chancery or elsewhere as of a Recognizance Fine Statute or Deed indented by the Statute of 27 H. 8. c. 16. by which a Freehold shall pass Instant INstant in Latine Instans is defined by the Logicians A thing not dividable in Time which is not any Time nor part of Time to which yet the parts of time are conjoyned and much considered in the Law and though it cannot be actually divided yet in consideration and conceit it may be divided and applied to several purposes as if they were several times whereof see in Plowdens Commentaries in the Case between Fulmerston and Stuard where the Statute of 31 H. 8. which Enacted That if an Abbot within a year before the Statute had letten Lands to one who at the time of making that Lease had the same Land to farm for a term of years then not expired that the Lessee should have that Land only for twenty one years is expounded And there it is debated That when the Termor takes the second Lease he surrenders his former term and so at the same instant of taking the second Lease the former term is expired And in the Case between Petit and Hales he who kills himself commits not Felony till he be dead and when dead he is not in being so as to be termed a Felon but at the instant is in the Law so adjudged And there are many other Cases in Law where the instant time that is not dividable in nature in the consideration of the mind and understanding of the Sages of the Law is divided upon which arise many arguments of great use and profound learning Institution INstitution is a Faculty made by the Ordinary by which a Vicar or Rector is approved to be Inducted to a Rectory or Vicarage Interdiction INterdiction has the same signification in the Common as in the Canon Law where it is thus defined Interdictio est Censura Ecclesiastica prohibens administrationem Divinorum And so it is used 22 H. 8. cap. 12. Intrusion INtrusion is a Writ that lies against him that enters after the death of Tenant in Dower or other Tenant for Life and holds out him in the Reversion or Remainder for which see Fitz. N. B. fol. 203. E. And every entry upon the possession of the King is called an Intrusion as where the Heir of the Kings Tenant enters after Office and before Livery this is called an Intrusion upon the King as appears in Stanf. Prerog fol. 40. and many other Books Intrusion INtrusion See Entrusion Inventary AN Inventary is a Catalogue or Recital in Writing of all the Goods and Chattels of one that is dead with the Valuation of them by four several persons which every Executor and Administrator ought to exhibit to the Ordinary at the time appointed Jointenans JOintenants are where two men come to any Lands and Tenements by one joynt Title as if a man give Lands to two men and to their Heirs Tenants in common are where two have Lands by several Titles or by Feoffment to two
to have and tohold the one half to one and his Heirs aud the other half to another and his Heirs in all these cases none of them knows his several If there be two or three Ioyntenants and one hath Issue and dies then he or those Ioyntenants that overlive shall have the whole by Survivorship If two Iointenants by agreement make Partition between them by Deed then they are several Tenants But if one Ioyntenant grant that which belongs to him to a Strang â—â— then the other Ioyntenantand the Stranger are Tenants in common And though two Tenants in common be seised throughly and of the whole and none knows his several yet if one die the other shall not make the whole by Survivorship but the Heir of him that dies shall have the half And so if there be three Ioyntenants and one of them makes a Feoffment of his part to another and the Feoffee dies then his Heir shall have the third part and the other two are Ioyntenants as they were because they two are seised by one joynt Title Also if Lands be given to the baron and his wife and the husband aliens and dies the wife shall recover the whole But if they were Ioyntenants before the Coverture then he shall recover but the half If Land be given to the husband and his wife and a third person if the third person grant that which belongs to him the one half passes by this Grant for that the baron and his wife are but one person in Law and in this case they have right but to half Also if two Ioyntenants are of Lands in a Town that is Borough-English where Land is devisable and one by his Testament devises that which belongs to him to a Stranger and dies this Devise is void and the other shall have the whole by Sutviver for that the Devise may not take effect till after the death of the Devisor and immediately after the death of the Devisor the right comes to the other Ioyntenant by Surviver who claims nothing by the Devisor but in his own right by Surviver But otherwise it is of Parceners seised of Lands devisable causa qua supra Journies accounts JOurnies accounts Dietae computatae is a term in the Law which is understood thus If a Writ be abated without the default of the Plaintiff or Demandant he may purchase a new Writ which if it be purchased by Journies accounts that is within as little time as he possibly can after the Abatement of the first Writ then this second Writ shall be as a Continuance of the first and so shall ouste the Tenant or Defendant of his Voucher Plea of Non-tenure Ioyntenancy fully administred c. or any other Plea which arises upon matter hapning after the date of the first Writ And fifteen days have been held a convenient time for the purchase of the new Writ See for this Writ by Journies accounts Spencers Case Coke lib. 6. fol. 9. b. Joynture JOynture is an Estate and Assurance made to a Woman in consideration of Marriage for term of her life or otherwise as is mentioned in the Statute of 27 H. 8. cap. 10. whether it be before or after Marriage And if it be after then she may at her liberty after the death of her husband refuse to take or have the Lands so assured for her Ioynture and demand her Dower at the Common Law But if it be made before Marriage then she may not refuse such Ioynture nor have Dower according to the Common Law unless that when she brings her Writ of Dower the Defendant pleads such a Plea as will not bar her of her Dower as if he say in Bar that her husband was not seised of such Estate whereof she might be endowed or any such Plea and doth not shew that she hath a Ioynture made c. and therefore demands Iudgment of that Action or any such like Plea c. And this was the opinion of Master Brograve at his Reading in Grays-Inn in Summer An. 1567. 18 Eliz. upon a Branch of the Statute made 27 H. 8. cap. 10. concerning Joyntures and Dowers And of those things whereof a Woman may be endowed she may have Ioynture as of Mines Vesturam terrae Woods Towns Is â— es Meadows and such like Also of an Advowson Reversion depending upon an Estate for Life Wind-mill high Chamber Rectory and such other and they are called Tenements Also of a Villain for he is an Hereditament And of all these profit may come to the woman But of those things whereof no profit will come but rather a charge a Ioynture cannot be made See Coke lib. 4. fol. 1. Vernons Case Jurisdiction JUrisdiction is a Dignity which a Man hath by a power to do Iustice in Causes of complaint made before him Juris utrum JUris utrum is a Writ that lies for the succeeding Incumbent of a Benefice to recover the Lands or Tenements belonging to the Church which were aliened by his Predecessor And see of this Fitz. N. B. fol. 48. R. and see after in the Title Utrum Juror JUror is one of those 24 or 12 men which are sworn to deliver a truth upon such Evidence as shall be given them touching the matter in question of which see Fitz. Nat. B. fol. 165. D. and the Statute 16 and 17 Car. 2. cap. for returning able and sufficient Jurors Justice seat JUstice seat is the highest Court that is held in a Forrest and it is always held before the Lord Chief Iustice â—â— Eyre of the Forrest upon mâ—â—ning 40 â— ays before And 〈◊〉 the Iudgments are always given and the Fines see for Offences that were presented at the Courts of Attachments and the Offenders indicted at the Swainmotes See concerning this Court Manwoods Forrest Laws cap 2 â— fol. 238. b. Justices in Eire JUstices in Eire See Eire Justicies JUsticies is a Writ directed to the Sheriff for the dispatch of Justice in some special Cases in his County-Court of which he cannot by his ordinary power hold Plea there And of this you may see Precedents in Fitzh N. B. fol. 117. C. in Account and fol. 152. B. in Annuity and fol. 119. G. in Debt and many others And it is called a Justicies because it is a Commission to the Sheriff to do a man right and it requires no Return or Certificate of what he hath done K. Keelage KEelage in Latine Killagium is a Custom paid at Hartlepool in Durham for every Ship coming into that Port. R of Parl. 21 E. 1. Kiddle KIddle or Kidel is a Dam or Wear in a River All Kidels shall from henceforth be utterly put down in the Thames and Medway and throughout all England except upon the Sea-coast Mag. Char. cap. 24. KIngs silver Kings silver is the Money which is due to the King in the Court of Common Pleas for a License there granted to any man to pass a Fine Coke lib. 6. fol. 39 43. Kintal KIntal is a Weight
commonly of One hundred pounds more or less according to the Vsage of sundry Nations Mr. Plowden in the Case of Reniger and Fogassa makes mention of this word Knights Service KNights Service was a Tenure by which several Lands in this Nation were held of the King But it is abolished by Statute 12 Car. 2. cap. 24. L. Laches LAches or Lasches is an old French word signifying Slacknesse or Negligence as it appears in Lit. sect 403. 726. where Laches of Entry is nothing else but a Neglect in the Infant to enter So that I think it may be an old English word And when we say There is Laches of Entry it is as much as to say There L â— ok is of Entry or there is Lack of Entry Yet I find that Lascher in French is to Loyter and Lasche signifies one that is idle or lazy and therefore it may also come from the French For Etymoligies are divers and many times ad placitum Lagan LAgan is such a parcel of Goods as the Mariners in a danger of Shipwreck cast out of the Ship and because they know they are heavy and will sink they fasten to them a Boigh or Cork that so they may find them and have them again If the ship be drowned or otherwise perish these Goods are called Lagan or Ligan a ligando and so long as they continue upon the Sea they belong to the Admiral but if they are cast upon the Land they are then called a Wreck and belong to him that hath the Wreck as it appears in Coke l. 5. f. 106. Lageman LAgeman est Homo Legalis seu legitimus such as we call Good men of the Jury The word is found in Dooms-day-Book Land-cheap LAnd-cheap is a payment of 10 d. in the Purchase-mony for every Mark thereof for all the Lands within the Borough of Maldon in Essex by prescription which see H. 25 26. Car. 2. Roll 706. in B. R. Lapse LApse Lapsus is the Omission of a Patron to present to a Church of his Patronage within six months after an Avoidance by death or taking of another Benefice without qualification or notice to him given of the Resignation or Deprivation of the present Incumbent by which neglect Title is given to the Ordinary to collate to the said Church Larcenie LArceny is a wrongful taking away another mans Goods but not from his person with a mind to steal them And Theft is in two sorts the one so called simply and the other Petit or Little Theft The first is where the thing stolen exceeds the value of 12 d. and this is Felony The other called Little or Petit Theft is where the thing stolen doth not exceed the value of 12 d. and that is not Felony Last LAst signifies a certain Wright or Burthen as a Last of Herring is ten thousand Anno 31 E. 3. Stat. 2. cap. 2. a Last of Hides is twelve dozen Anno 1 Jae c. 33. Lastage LAstage is to be quit of a certain Custom exacted in Fairs and Markets for carrying of things where a Man will Latitat LAtitat is a Writ by which all Men in Personal Actions are originally called in the Kings Bench to answer And it is called Latitat because it is supposed by the Writ that the Defendant cannot be found in the County of Middlesex as it appears by the Return of the Sheriff of that County but that he lurks in another County and therefore to the Sheriff of that County is this Writ directed to apprehend him Law LAw See Ley. Law-day LAw-day signifies a Leet or Sheriffs Tourn as it appears by the Statute of 1 E. 4. c. 2. where the Sheriffs Tourn is so called and 9 H. 7. f. 21. b. and many other Books where a Leet is so called See Smiths Commonwealth l. 2. c. 21. Lawing of Dogs LAwing of Dogs See Expeditate Lawless man LAwless man is the who is extra Legem an Outlaw Bract. l. 3. tract 2. c. 11. num 1. Leases LEases are Grants or Demises by one that hath any Estate in any Hereditaments of those Hereditaments to another for the lesser time And they are in divers manners viz. for term of Life for Years for anothers Life and at Will Also a Lease of Land is as good without Deed as with Deed. But in a Lease for term of Life it behoves to give Livery and Seisin upon the Land or else nothing shall pass by the Grant because they are called Free-holds Also a Lease of a Common or Rent may not be good without Deed. But of a Parsonage that hath Glebe it is good without Deed for that the Glebe of the Church which is the principal may well enough pass without Deed and so the Dismes and Offerings which are as accessary to the Church But Dismes and Offerings by themselves may not be let without Deed as it is said Leet LEet is a Court derived out of the Sheriffs Tourne and inquires of all Offences under the degree of High Treason that are committed against the Crown and Dignity of the King But those Offences which are to be punished with loss of life or member are only inquirable there and to be certified over to the Iustices of Assise See Stat. 1. E. 3. c. 16. Legacy LEgacy Legatum is a term of the Civil Law and it is that which we in our Law call a Devise viz. Lands or Goods given unto any man by the Will or Testament of another See more Tit. Devise before Lessor and Lessee LEssor is he that leases Lands or Tenements to another for term of life years or at will And he to whom the Lease is made is called Lessee Levant and Couchant LEvant and Couchant is said when the Beasts or Cattel of a Stranger are come into another mans Ground and there have remained a certain good space of time Levari facias LEvari facias is a Writ directed to the Sheriff for the Levying of a sum of mony upon the Lands Tenements and Chattels of him that hath forfeited a Recognizance See F. N. B. fol. 265. D. Law LAw is when an Action of Debt is brought against one upon some secret agreement or Contract had between the parties without especialty shewed or other matter of Records as in an Action of Detinue for some Goods or Chattels lent or left with the Defendant then the Defendant may wage his Law if he will that is swear upon a Book and certain persons with him that he detains not the Goods or ows nothing to the Plaintiff in manner and form as he hath declared And it is allowed only in cases of Secrecy where the Plaintiff cannot prove the surmise of his Suit by any Deed or Open act for the Defendant might discharge it privily between them without any Acquittance or Publick act And therefore in an Action of Debt upon a Lease for years or upon Arrearages of accompt before Auditors assigned a man shall not wage his Law But when one shall wage his Law he
shall bring with him vj viij or xij of his Neighbors as the Court shall assign him to swear with him much like the Oath which they make who are used in the Civil Law to purge others of any crime laid against them who are called Compurgators Note that the Offer to make the Oath is called Wager of Law and when it is accomplished then it is called the Doing of your Law And if the Sheriff in any Action return that he hath summoned the Defendant to appear in Court at any day to answer the Plaintiff at which day he makes Default Process shall be awarded against him to come and save or excuse his Default which is as much to say as to excuse the Delay or otherwise to lose the thing demanded And the Defendant comes and swears he was not summoned which is called waging of Law then he ought to do it at the day assigned with xij others And in doing of his Law he ought upon his Oath to affirm directly the contrary of that which is imputed to him But the others shall onely say They think he saith the truth Libel LIbel Libellus is a term of the Civil Law signifying the Original Declaration in any Action and so it is used in the Statutes of 2 H. 3. cap. 3. and 2 E. 6. cap. 13. And an infamous Libel signifies properly in our Law a Scandalous report of any man unlawfully published in writing of which see Cok. lib. 5. fol. 125. a. Liberate LIberate is a Warrant issuing out of the Chancery to the Treasurer Chamberlains and Barons of the Exchequer or Clerk of the Hamper c. for the payment of any yearly Pension or other Sum granted under the Great Seal Regist orig 193. Sometimes to the Sheriffs c. Fitzh N. B. fol. 132. for the delivery of Lands or Goods taken upon Forfeiture of a Recognizance F. N. B. 131 132. Cok. lib. 4. Fulwoods Case fol. 64 66 67. Also to a Gaoler from the Justices for the delivery of a Prisoner that hath put in Bail for his Appearance There is also another Writ made out of the Petry-bag Office in Chancery upon a Statute Staple after an Extent thereupon retorned by which the Sheriff retorns he has delivered the Land extended to the Cognizee which being filed he may then not before bring his Action of Ejectment to recover possession of the Lands extended Libertate probanda LIbertate probanda Look for that in the Title Nativo habendo Librata Terrae LIbrata Terrae contains four Ox-gangs and every Oxgang 13 Acres of Land Skene de verb. signif verbo bovata Terrae Lien LIen is a word of two significations Personal lien and come being Covenant or Contract And real lien as Judgment Statute Recognizance or an Original against an Heir which oblige and affect the Land Ligeance LIgeance is a true and faithful Obedience of the Subject due to his Soveraign and this Ligeance which is an incident inseparable to every Subject is in four manners the first is natural the second acquired the third local and the fourth legal Of all which you may read much excellent Learning in Cok. lib. 7. Calvins Case Limitation LImitation is an Assignment of a space or time within which he that will sue for any Lands or Hereditaments ought to prove that he or his Ancestor was seised of the thing demanded or otherwise he shall not maintain his Suit or Action which Assignments are made by divers Statutes As the Statute of Merton cap. 8. Westm 1. cap. 38. 32 Hen. 8. cap. 2. c. Livery of Seisin LIvery of Seisin is a Ceremony used in Conveyance of Lands and Tenements where an Estate in Fee-simple Fee-tail or a Free-hold shall pass And it is a Testimonial of the willing departing of him who makes the Livery from the thing whereof Livery is made And the receiving of the Livery is a willing Acceptance by the other party of all that whereof the other hath devested himself And it was invented as an open and notorious thing by means whereof the common People might have knowledge of the Passing or Alteration of Estates from man to man that thereby they might be the better able to try in whom the right and possession of Lands and Tenements were if they should be impanelled in Juries or otherwise have to do concerning the same The common manner of Delivery of Seisin is thus If it be in the open Field where is no Building or House then one that can read takes the Writing in his hand if the Estate pass by Deed and declares to the standers by the cause of their meeting there together c. and then openly reads the Deed or declares the effect thereof and after that is sealed the party who is to depart from the Ground takes the Deed in his hands with a Clod of the earth and a Twig or Bough if any be there which he delivers to the other party in the name of Possession or Seisin according to the form and effect of the Deed there read or declared But if there be a Dwelling-house or Building upon the Land then this is done at the Door of the same none being left at that time within the House and the party delivers all aforesaid with the Ring of the Door in the name of Seisin or Possession and he that receives the Livery enters in first alone and shuts the door and presently opens it again and lets them in c. If it be a House whereto is no Land or Ground the Livery is made and Possession taken by the delivery of the Ring of the Door and Deed only And where it is without Deed either of Lands or Tenements there the party declares by word of mouth before witness the Estate that he means to depart with and then delivers Seisin or Possession in manner aforesaid And so the Land or Tenement doth pass as well as by Deed and that by force of the Livery of Seisin It was agreed in Gray's Inne by Master Snagge at his Reading there in Summer Anno 1574. That if a Feoffor deliver the Deed in view of the Land in name of Seisin that is good because he hath a Possession in himself But otherwise it is of an Attorney for he must go to the Land and take Possession himself before he can give Possession to another according to the words of his Warrant c. And where Livery of Seisin is by View if the Feoffee do not enter after c. nothi â— g passes for he ought to enter in Deed. Lollards LOllards were Dogmatists in Religion in the times of E. 3. and H. 5. and in those times were reputed Hereticks as appears by the Statutes in 5. R. 2. cap. 5. and 2 H. 5. cap. 7. Which Statutes you shall find repealed in 1 E. 6. cap. 12. and 1 El. cap. 1. They had their name as some think from one Gualter Lolhard a German who lived about the year 1315. and was the first Author
of this Sect. Lord in Grosse LOrd in Grosse is he who is Lord without a Mannor as the King in respect of his Crown Fitz. Nat. Brev. fol. 5. A man makes a Gift in tail of all his Land to hold of him and dies his Heir hath nothing but a Seignory in Gross Lotherwit LOtherwit is that you may take amends of him who doth deffle your Bondwoman without your licence Lushburgh LUshburgh was a counterfeit Coin in the time of E. 3. made beyond Seas in likeness of English Moneys and brought in to deceive the King and his Subjects And therefore it is declared to be Treason by the Stat. of 25 E. 3. Stat. 5. cap. 2. for any man to bring it into the Realm knowing it to be false M. Maegbote MAEgbote was a a Recompence for a Kinsman slain Maihem or Maime MAihem or Maime is where by the wrongful act of another any Member is hurt or taken away whereby the party is made unperfect to fight As if a Bone be taken out of the Head or broken in any other part of the Body or Foot or Hand or Finger or Joynt of a Foot or any Member be cut or by some Wound the Sinews be made to shrink or the Fingers made crooked or if an Eye be put out Fore-teeth broken or any other thing hurt in a mans Body by means whereof he is made the less able to defend himself or offend his enemy But the cutting off of an Ear or Nose or breaking of the Hinder-teeth or such like is no Maihem because it is rather a deformity of Body then diminishing of Strength and that is commonly tryed by the Justices beholding the party And if the Justices stand in doubt whether the hurt be a Maihem or not they use and will of their own discretion take the help and opinion of some skilful Chirurgeon to consider thereof before they determine upon the Cause Mainpernable MAinpernable that may be mainprised or delivered to Mainpernors See the Statute of Westm 1. Cap. 15. what persons may be mainpernable what not Mainprise MAinprise is when a man is arrested by Capias the Iudge may deliver his body to certain men to keep and to bring before him at a certain day and these are called Mainpernors and if the party appear not at the day assigned the Mainpernors shall be amerced Maintenance MAintenance is where any man gives or delivers to another that is Plaintif or Defendant in any Action any sum of money or other thing to maintain his Plea or takes great pains for him when he hath nothing therewith to do then the party grieved shall have against him a Writ called a Writ of Maintenance Manbote MAnbote signifies a Pecuniary Compensation for the killing a man Lambert Mandamus MAndamus is a Writ that goes to the Escheator for the finding of an Dffice after the death of one that died the Kings Tenant and it is all one with the Writ of Diem clausit extremum but that the Diem clausit extremum goes out within the year after the death and the Mandamus goes not out till after the year and in case where there was never any Diem clausit extremum sued out or was not sued out with effect Fitz. N. B. 253. B. C. See the Stat. 12 Car. 1. cap. 24. Also there is another sort of Mandamus granted upon Motion in the Kings Bench one to the Bishop to admit an Executor to prove a Will or to grant Administration Stiles Reports 78. Another to command Corporations to restore Aldermen and others to Offices out of which they are unjustly put out Look 11 Report James Bag 's Case Mannor MAnnor is compounded of divers things as of a House Arable Land Pasture Meadow Wood Rent Advowson Court-Baron and such like which make a Mannor And this ought to be by long continuance of time the contrary whereof mans memory cannot discern for at this day a Mannor cannot be made because a Court-Baron cannot now be made and a Mannor cannot be without a Court-Baron and Suiters and Freeholders two at the least for if all the Free-holds except one escheat to the Lord or if he purchase all except one there his Mannor is gon for that it cannot be a Mannor without a Court-Baron as is aforesaid and a Court-Baron cannot be holden but before Suiters and not before one Suiter and therefore where but one Free-hold or Freeholder is there cannot be a Mannor properly although in common speech it may be so called Mansion MAnsion Mansio is most commonly taken for the chief Messuage or Habitation of the Lord of a Mannor the Mannor-house where he doth most reside his Capital Messuage as it is called of which the Wife by the Statute of Mag. Chart cap. 7. shall have her Quarentine Munucaptio MAnucaptio is a Writ that lies for him who is arrested or indicted of Felony and offers sufficient Sureties for his Appearance but the Sheriff or he whom it concerns will not suffer him to be bailed then he shall have his Writ to command them to suffer him to be bailed See of this Fitz. N. B. fol. 249. G. Manumission MAnumission is the making a Bond-man free and may be in two sorts the one is a Manumission expressed the other a Manumission implied Manumission expressed is where the Lord makes a Deed to his Villain to Infranchise him by this word Manumittere which is as much to say as to let one go out of another mans hands or power The manner of Manumitting or Infranchising in old time most usually was thus The Lord in presence of his Neighbors took the Bondman by the Head saying I will that this Man be free and therewith shoved him forward out of his hand and by this he was free Manumission implied without this word Manumitere is when the Lord makes an Obligation to his Villain to pay him money at a certain day or sues him where he might enter without Suit or grants him an Annuity or Leases Lands to him by Deed for years or life and in divers like cases the Villain thereby is made free Marchers MArchers are the Noble-men dwelling on the Marches of Wales or Scotland who in â— imes past had their private laws as if they had been Kings and therefore in the Statutes of 2 H. 4. c. 28. 26 H. 8. cap. 6. 27 H. 8. cap. 26. and 1 E. 6. cap. 10. they are called Lord Marchers Marches MArches are the bounds and Limits betwixt us and Wales or Scotland so called either from the German word March which signifies a Frontire or Border or else from the French word Marque that is a Sign or Token of Distinction these being the notorious Distinctions of two divers Countries Of these you shall read in the Statutes of 4 H. 5. cap. 7. 22 E. 4. cap. 8. 24 H. 8. cap. 9. and others Marshal MArshal is a general word for many Officers in England as the Lord or Earl Marshal of whom mention is made in the Statutes
the Statute of Mag. Charta cap. 14. speaks And therefore if a man be outragiously amerced in a Court not of Record as in a Court-Baron c. there is a Writ called Moderata Misericordia to be directed to the Lord or his Baily commanding them that they take moderate Amerciaments according to the quantity of the fault And of that see Fitzh N. B. fol. 75. A. and Moderata Misericordia after Misnomer MIsnomer is the Mistake of a Name or the using of one Name for another See Broke tit Misnomer Misprision MIsprision is when one knows that another hath committed Treason or Felony and will not discover him to the King or his Council or to any Magistrate but conceals the same Divers other offences are called Misprision as when a Chaplain had fixed an old Seal of a Patent to a new Patent of Non-residence this was held to be Misprision of Treason only and no counterfeiting of the Kings Seal So it is holden in 37 H. 8. Bro. tit Treason 3. in Fine but 2 H. 4. f. 25. A. it is adjudged contrary and Stamf. Pl. cor fol. 3. B. cites it Treason and so it is holden at this day And if a man know Money to be counterfeit and bring the same from out of Ireland hither and utter it in payment yet this is but Misprision of Treason and no Treason and so it is in divers like cases In all cases of Misprision of Treason the Party offendor shall forfeit his Goods for ever and the profits of his Lands for his life and his Body to Prison at the Kings pleasure And for Misprision of Felony or Trespass the Offendor shall be committed to Prison until he have found Sureties or Pledges for his Fine which shall be assessed by the discretion of the Iustices before whom he was convict And note That in every Treason or Felony is included Misprision and where any man hath committed Treason or Felony the King may cause him to be Indicted and Arraigned of Misprision only if he will See more hereof Stamf. lib. 1. cap. 39. Mittimus MIttimus is a Writ by which Records are transferred from one Court to another sometimes immediately as it appears in the Statute of 5. R. 2. cap. 15. as out of the Kings Bench into the Exchequer and sometimes by a Certiorari into the Chancery and from thence by a Mittimus into another Court as you may see in 28 H. 8. Dyer fol. 29. a b. 29 H. 8. Dyer fol. 32. a b. This word is used also for the Precept that is directed by a Iustice of Peace to a Goaler for the receiving and safe keeping of a Felon or other Offendor committed by the said Iustice to the Goal Moderata Misericordia MOderata Misericordia is a Writ that lies where a man is amerced in Court-Baton or County more then he ought to be then he shall have this Writ directed to the Sheriff if it be in the County or to the Bayliff if it be in Court-Baron commanding them that they amerce him not but with regard to the quantity of the Trespass and if they obey not this Writ then shall go forth against them a Sicut alias and Causam nobis significes and after that an Attachment Modus decimandi MOdus decimandi is Mony or other thing of value given annually in lie â— of Tithes The tryal of which appertains to the Common Law and not to any Court-Christian Ridley's view del Civil Law 141. In which he says There was one modus decimandi pro omnibus rebus per totum regnum Monstrans de Droit MOnstrans de Droit is a Suit in Chancery for the Subject to be restored to Lands and Tenements which he shews to be his Right but are by Office found to be in the possession of another that is lately dead by which Office the King is intitled to a Chattel Free-hold or Inheritance in the said Lands And this Monstrans de Droit is give by the Statutes of 34 E. 3. cap. 14. and 37 E. 3. cap. 13. See Coke lib. 4. fol. 54. B. in the Case of the Wardens and Commonalty of Sadlers Shewing of Deeds or Records SHewing of Deeds or Records is thus An Action of Debt is brought against A upon an Obligation by B or by Executors c. After the Plaintiff hath declared he ought to shew his Obligation and the Executor the Testament to the Court. And so it is of Records And the diversity between Shewing of Deeds or Records and Hearing of Deeds or Records is this He that pleads the Deed or Record or Declares upon it ought to shew the same and the other against whom such Deed or Record is pleaded or declared and is thereby to be charged may demand hearing of the same Deed or Record which his Adversary brings or pleads against him Monstraverunt MOnstraverunt is a Writ that lies for the Tenants in Ancient Demesne and is directed to the Lord him commanding not to Distain his Tenant to do other Service then he ought and they may have this Writ directed to the Sheriff that he suffer not the Lord to distrain the said Tenant to do other Service If the Tenants cannot be in quiet they may have an Attachment against the Lord to appear before the Iustices and all the names of the Tenants shall be put in the Writ though but one of them be grieved Also if any Land in ancient Demesne be in variance between the Tenants then the Tenant so grieved shall have against the other a Writ which is called of Right close after the Custome of the Mannor and that shall be alway brought in the Lords Court and thereupon he shall declare in the nature of what Writ he will as his case lies and this Writ shall not be removed but for a great cause or non-power of the Court. Also if the Lord in another place out of ancient Demesne distrain his Tenant to do other Service then he ought he shall have a Writ of Right called Ne Injuste vexes and it is a Writ of Right Patent which shall be tried by Battel or Grand Assise Mortdancester MOrtdancester See before in the Title Cosinage MOrtgage or Morgage MOrtgage or Morgage is when a Man makes a Feoffment to another on such condition that if the Feoffor pay the Feoffee at a certain day 40 li. of money then the Feoffor may re-enter c. In this case the Feoffee is called Tenant in Morgage And as a Man may make a Feoffment in Fee in Morgage so he may make a Gift in Tail or a Lease for Life or Years in Morgage And it seems the cause why it is called Morgage is for that it stands it doubt whether the Feoffoe will pay the mony at the day appointed or not and if he fail then the Land which he laid in gage upon condition of payment of the money is gone from him for ever and so dead to him upon condition but if he pay the mony then is the gage dead
as to the Tenant that is the Feoffee And for this cause it is called in Latine Mortuum vadium as Littleton saith or rather Mortuum vas as I think Also if a Feoffment be made in Morgage upon condition that if the Feoffor pay such a sum at such a day c. and the Feoffor dies before the day yet if the Heir of the Feoffor pay the sum at the same day to the Feoffee and the Feoffee refuses it the Heir of the Feoffor may enter But in such case if there be no day of payment expressed then such Tender of the Heir is void because when the Feoffor dies the time of Tender is past otherwise the Heirs of the Feoffor shall have time of Tender for ever which would be inconvenient that one shall have a Fee-simple to him and his Heirs defeasible always at the pleasure and will of others But in the first case the time of Tender was not expired by the death of the Feoffor Mortmain MOrtmain where Lands are given to a House of Religion or to other Company Incorporate by the Kings Grant the Land is come into Mortmain that is in English a dead hand and then the King or the Lord of whom the Land is holden may enter as appears by the Statute de Religiosis And if one make a Feoffment upon trust to certain persons to the use of a House of Religion or to the use of any Guild or Fraternity Corporate it shall be said Mortmain and he shall incur the same penalty as appears by the Statute Anno 15 R. 2. Mortuary MOrtuary is that Beast or other Chattel moveable which after the death of the owner by the Custom of some places became due to the Parson Vicar or Priest of the Parish in lieu or satisfaction of Tithes or Offerings forgot or not well and truly paid by him that is dead See now the Statute of 21 H. 8. cap. 6. which â— imits the course and order of the payment of these Mortuaries or of money for them Mulier MUlier is a word used in our Law but how aptly I cannot say for according to the proper signification Mulier is a defiled Woman as it is used in Ulpianus thus Si ego me Virginem emere putarem cum esset Mulier emptio non valebat Whereby you may see Mulier is a Woman that hath had the company of a Man But to leave the right signification Mulier is taken in our Law for one that is lawfully begotten and born and is always contra-distinguished with Bastard only to shew a difference between them as thus A Man hath a Son of a Woman before Marriage that is a Bastard and Vnlawful and after he marries the Mother of the Bastard and they have another Son this second Son is called Mulier that is to say Lawful and shall be Heir to his Father but the other cannot be Heir to any man because it is not known nor certain in the Iudgment of the Law who was his Father and for that cause is said to be No mans son or the son of the people and so without Father according to these old verses To whom the People Father is to him is Father none and all To whom the People Father is well fatherless we may him call And always you shall find this addition to them Bastard eldest and Mulier youngest when they are compared together Muniments MUniments are Evidences or Writings concerning a Mans Possession or Inheritance whereby he is able to defend the Estate which he hath And they are fo called from the Latin word Munio which signisies to defend or fortifie And 35 H. 6. fol. 37. b. Wangford says That this word Muniment includes all manner of Evidences viz. Charters Releases and others Murage MUrage is a Toll or Tribute levied for the repairing or Building of Publick Walls See Fitz. Nat. Brev. fol. 227. D. and the Statute of 3 E. 1. cap. 30. Murder MUrder is a wilful Killing a Man upon Malice forethought and seems to come of the Saxon word Mordren which so signifies And Mordridus is the Murderer even until this day among them in Saxony from whence we have most of our words as hath been often said Or it may be derived of Mort and dire as Mors dira See Stanf. Pleas of the Crown lib. 1. Muster MUster comes of the French word Monstrer that is to shew for to Muster is nothing but to shew men and their Arms and to In â— ol them in a Book as appears by the Statute of 18 H. 6. cap. 39. N. Naam NAam is the Attaching or Taking of the moveable Goods of another man and is either lawful or unlawful Lawful Naam is a reasonable Distress according to the value of the thing for which the Distress is made See mo â— e of this in Horn's Mirror of Justices lib. 2. Nativo habendo NAtivo habendo is a Writ that lies where the Villain or Nief of the Lord is gone from him then the Lord shall have this Writ directed to the Sheriff to cause the Lord to have his Villain or Nief with all his goods In this Writ more Villians or Niefs may not be demanded then two but as many Villains or Niefs as will may jointly bring a Writ de Libertate probanda And if a Villain or Nief bring his Writ de Libertate probanda before the Lord bring this Writ then the Villain Plaintiff shall be in peace till the coming of the Iustices or else his Writ shall not help him Also if a Villain have tarried in ancient Demesne one year and a day without claim of the Lord then he cannot seise him in the said Franchise Naturalization NAturalization See Denizen Ne admittas NE admittas is a Writ directed to the Bishop at the Suit of one who is Patron of any Church and he doubts that the Bishop will collate one his Clerk or admit another Clerk presented by another man to the same Benefice then he that doubts it shall have this Writ to forbid the Sheriff to collate or admit any to that Church Negative Pregnant NEgative Pregnant is when an Action Information or such like is brought against one and the Defendant pleads in Bar of the Action or otherwise a Negative Plea which is not so special an answer to the Action but that it includes also an Affirmative As for example If a Writ of Entrie en casu proviso be brought by him in the Reversion of an Alienation by the Tenant for Life supposing that he hath aliened in Fee which is a Forfeiture of his Estate and the Tenant to the Writ saith He hath not alienated in Fee this is a Negative wherein is included an Affirmative for though it be true that he hath not aliened in Fee yet it may be he hath made an Estate in Tail which is also a Forfeiture and then the Entry of him in the Reversion is lawful c. Also in a Quare impedit the King makes Title to present to a
c. 10. f. 74. a. Purveyors PUrveyors were ancient Officers to provide Victuals for the King which Office is mentioned in the Statute 28 E. 1. cap. 2. 36 E. 4. cap. 6. 14 E. 3. cap. 19. But it is abolished by the Stat. 12 Car. 2. cap. 24. Q. Quadrantata terrae QUadrantata terrae is the fourth part of an Acre Quae plura QUae plura is a Writ that lies in case where the Escheator hath found an Office after the death of the Kings Tenant virtute officii and hath not found all the Lands of which he died seised then this Writ shall issue in nature of a Melius inquirendo to find what Lands he had more See F. N. B. f. 255. a. Quale jus QUale jus is a Writ that lies where an Abbot Prior or such other should have Iudgment to recover Land by Default of the Tenant against whom the Land is demanded then before Iudgment given or Execution awarded this Writ shall go forth to the Escheator to enquire what right he hath to recover And if it be found that he hath not right then the Lord who should have the Land if the Tenant had aliened in Mortmain may enter as into Land aliended in Mortmain for this losing by Default is like an Alienation See the Stat. Westm 2. c. 32. But where one will give Lands to a House of Religion an Ad quod damnū shall go forth to the Escheator to enquire of what value the Land is and what prejudice is shall be to the King Quare ejecit infra terminum QUare ejecit infra terminum is a Writ that lies where one makes a Lease to another for term of years and the Lessor infeoffs another and the Feoffee puts out the Termour then the Termour shall have this Writ against the Feoffee But if another stranger put out the Termour then he shall have a Writ De ejectione firmae against him And in these two Writs he shall recover the term and his dammages Quare impedit QUare impedit is a Writ that lies where I have an Addowson and the Parson dies and another presents a Clerk or disturbs me to present then I shall have the said Writ But Assise de darrein presentment lies where I or my ancestors have preseuted before And where a man may have art Assise de darrene presentment he may have a Quare impedit but not contratiwise Also if the Plea be depending between two parties and be not discussed within fix moneths the Bishop may present by Lapse and he that hath right to present shall recover his dammages as appears by the Statute of Westm 2. c 5. And if he that hath right to present after the death of the Parson brings no Quare impedit nor Darreine presentment but suffers a stranger to usurp upon him yet he shall have a Writ of right of Advowson But this Writ lies not unless he claim to have the Advowson to him and his heirs in Fee Quare incumbravit QUare incumbravit is a Writ that lies where two are in Plea for the Advowson and the Bishop admits the Clerk of one of them within the six moneths then he shall have this Writ against the Bishop But this Writ lies always depending the Plea Quare intrusit Matrimonio non satisfacto QUare intrusit Matrimonio non satisfacto is a Writ that lies where the Lord profers convenable Marriage to his Ward and he refuses and enters into the Land and marries himself to another then the Lord shall have this Writ against him Quare non admifit QUare non admifit is a Writ that lies where a man hath recovered an Advowson and sends his convenable Clerk to the Bishop to be admitted and the Bishop will not receive him then he shall have the said Writ against the Bishop But a Writ of Ne admittas lies where two are in Plea if the Plaintiff suppose the Bishop will admit the Clerk of the Defendant then he may have this Writ to the Bishop commanding him not to admit him hanging the Plea Quarels QUarels is derived from Querendo and extends not only to Actions as well real as personal but also to the Causes of Actions and Suits so that by the Release of all Quarels not only Actions depending in Suit but Causes of Action and Suit also are released and Quarels Controversies and Debates are words of one sense and of one and the same signification Coke lib. 8. fol. 153. Quarentine QUarentine is where a man dies seised of a Mannour-place and other Lands whereof the Wife ought to be endowed then the woman may abide in the Mannour-place and there live of the store and profits thereof the space of sorty days within-which time her Dower shall be assigned as it appears in Magna Charta cap. 6. Que estate QUe estate is a term in pleading to avoid prolixity as if a man pleads a feoffment in fee to A. cujus statum idem B. modo habet and no one can plead it but Tenant of the Fee nor can it be pleaded of things which pass meerly by grant as Advowsons Franchises c. Quid juris clamat QUid juris clamat is a Writ that lies where I grant the Reversion of my Tenant for life by Fine in the Kings Court and the Tenant will not attorn then the Grantee shall have this Writ to compel him But a Writ of Quem redditum reddit lies where I grant by Fine a Rent charge or another Rent which is not Rent service which my Tenant holds of me and the Tenant will not attorn then the Grantee shall have this Writ And a Writ of Per quae servitia lies in like case for Rent service Also if I grant four divers Rents to one man and the Tenant of the Land attourns to the Grantee by payment of a peny or of a half peny in the name of Attournment of all the Rents this Attournment shall put him in seisin of all the Rent But these three Writs ought to be brought against those who are Tenants at the day of the Fine levied and against no other Fifteenth FIfteenth is a Payment granted in Parliament to the King by the Temporalty namely the fifteenth part of their goods And it was used in ancient time to be levied upon their Cattel going in their grounds which thing was very troublesome and therefore now for the most part that way is altered and they use to levie the same by the Yard or Acre or other measure of Land by means whereof it is now less troublesome and more certain than before and every Town and Country know what sum is to be paid among them and how the same shall be raised We read that Moses was the first that numbred the people for he numbred the Israelites and the first Tax Subsidy Tribute or Fifteenth was invented by him among the Hebrews as Polydore Virgil thinks Quit claim QUit claim is a Release or Acquitting of a man for any Action that he
his Father and he shall have be no other Recovery against the Tenant or any other because such advantage is given by the Law to the Tenant And note that Fealty of common right belongs to Rent service but not to Rent charge nor Rent seck If a man distrain for Rent charge and the Distress be rescued from him and he was never seised before he hath no recovery but by Writ of Rescous for the Distress first taken gives not Seis â— to him unless he had the Rent before for if he were seised of the Rent before and after the Rent be behind and he distrain and Rescous be made he shall have Assise or a Writ of Rescous In every Assise of Rent charge and annual Rent or in a Writ of Annuity it behoves him that brings the Writ to shew an Especialty or else he shall not maintain the Assise But in an Assise of Mortdancestor or Formedon in the discender or other Writs in which Title is given or comprised brought of Rent charge or annual Rent the Especialty need not be shewn And note well that if a man grant a Rent charge to another and the Grantee release to the Grantor parcel of the Rent yet all that Rent is not extinct If Rent charge be granted to two joyntly and the one release yet the other shall have the half of the Rent And if the one purchase the half of the Land whereout the Rent is going the other shall have the half of the Rent of his companion And if the Disseisor charge the Land to a Stranger and the Disseisee bring an Assise and recover the Charge is defeated But if he that hath right charges the Land and a Stranger feign a false Action against him who hath no right and recovers by Default the charge abides In case Partition be between two Parceners and more Land be allowed to one then to the other and she that hath most of the Land charges her Land to the other and she happeth the Rent she shall maintain Assise without Especialty And it is a Rent seck where a man holds of me by Homage Fealty and other Services yielding to me a certain yearly Rent which I grant to another reserving to me the other Services If Rent seck be granted to a man and to his Heirs and the Rent be behind and the Grantor die the Heir may not distrain nor shall recover the arrearages of the time of his Father as it is said before of Rent services And in the same manner it is of Rent charge or annual Rent But in all these Rents the Heir may have for the arrerages in his own time such advantage as his Father had in his life See the Statute 32 H. 8. cap. 37. And note well that in Rent seck if a man be not seised of the Rent and it be behind he is without recovery for that it was his own folly at the beginning when the Rent was granted him or reserved that he took not Seisin of it as a peny or two pence A man may not have a Cessavit per biennium or any other Writ of Entry sur Cessavit for any Rent seck behind by two years but only for Rent service as it appears in the Stat. West 2. cap. 21. It behoves him that sues for Rent seck to shew a Deed to the Tenant cise the Tenant shall not be charged with the Rent except where the Rent seck was Rent service before as in this case Lord Mesne and Tenant and every of them holds of other by Homage and Fealty and the Tenant of the Mesne by 10 s. rent the Lord paramount purchases the Lands or Tenements of the Tenant all the Seigniory of the Mesne but the rent is extinct and for this cause this rent is become Rent seck and the Rent service changed for he may not distrain for this rent and in this case he that demands the rent shall never be charged to shew a Deed. Also in a Writ of Mordint-cestor Ayle or Besayle of rent seck it needs not to shew a Specialty for that these Writs of Possession comprehend a Title within themselves that is to say that the Ancestor was seised of the same rent and centinued his possession in respect of which Seisin the Law supposes that it is also averrable by the Countrey Yet learn for some suppose a necessity to shew forth a Deed because rent seck is a thing against common right as well as rent charge But in Assise of Novel disseisin and in a Writ of Entry sur disseisin brought of Rent seck it is needful to shew forth a Deed for that Rent seck is a thing against Common Right except in the case aforesaid where it was Rent service before and by the act of Law it is become Rent seck And Assise of Novel disseisin and a Writ of Entry sur disseisin contain within them no Title but suppose a Disseisin to be done to the Plaintiff and by the intendment of the Law the Disseisin gives no cause of Averment against common Right but there is a necessity to shew forth a Deed. Repleader REpleader is where the plea of the Plaintiff or Defendant or both are ill or an impertinent Issue joyned then the Court makes void all the Pleas which are ill and awards the Parties to replead Coke Entr. 152. and 221 224. Replevin REplevin is a Writ that lies where a man is distrained for Rent or other thing then he shall have this Writ to the Sheriff to deliver to him the Distress and shall find Surety to pursue his Action and if he pursue it not or if it be found or judged against him then he that tooks the Distress shall have again the Distress which is called the Return of the Beasts and he shall have in such case a Writ called Returno habendo But if the Defendant avow for Rent he may have Iudgment for the value of the Cattel by the Statute of 17 Car. 2. cap. 7. If it be in any Franchise or Bailiwick the party shall have a Replevin of the Sheriff directed to the Bailiff of the same Franchise to deliver them again and he shall find Surety to pursue his Action at the next County And this Replevin may be removed out of the County unto the Common place by Writ of Recordare See more of Replevin in the Title Distress Also see Mich. 2 E. 3. pl. 31. 7 E. 3. 27. pl. 13. the word Plevin where Land was taken out of the Kings hands and are afterwards delivered or replevied out of the Kings hands For which see Stat. 9. 3. cap. 2. The Writ of Homine replegiando lies where a man is in Prison and not by special commandment of the King nor of his Iustices nor for the death of a man nor for the Kings Forest nor for such cause which is not replevisable then he shall have this Writ directed to the Sheriff that he cause him to be replevied This Writ is a Justcies
the View that is that he may see the Land which he claims But if the Tenant hath had a View in one Writ and after the Writ is abated in misnaming the Town or by Ioyntenure and after the Demandant brings another Writ against the Tenant then the Tenant shall not have the View in the second Writ View of Frank pledge VIew of Frank pledge Visus franci plegii is the power to hold a Turn or Leet in which Courts every Free-man in ancient time became bound with Sureties at the age of fourteen years for his Truth to the King and his Subjects and thereupon those Courts were called the View of the free Pledges that is of such Free-men as were Pledges or Sureties one for another See Deciners Vi Laica removenda VI Laica removenda is a Writ that lies where Debate is between two Parsons or Provisors for a Church and one of them enters into the Church with great power of Lay-men and holds the other out with force and arms he that is holden out shall have this Writ directed to the Sheriff that he remove the Power which is within the Church and the Sheriff shall be commanded that if he find any men there withstanding he take with him the Power of his County if need be and arrest the Bodies of all those that resist and put them in Prison so that he have their Bodies before the King at a certain day to answer the Contempt And this Writ is returnable and shall not be granted before the Bishop of the place where such Church is hath certified in the Chancery such Resisting and Force Villain and Villainage TO hold in pure Villainage is to do all that that the Lord will him command The division of Villainage is Villain of Blood and of Tenure And he is a Villain of whom the Lord takes Redemption to marry his Daughter and to make him Free and it is he whom the Lord may put out of his Lands or Tenements at his will and also of all his Goods and Chattels A Sockman is no pure Villain nor does a Villain owe Ward Marriage or Relief nor does he any other Services real Tenure in Villainage shall make no Free-man Villain if it be not continued time out of mind nor shall Villain Land make a Free-man Villain nor Free-land make Villain Free except the Tenant have continued Free beyond the time of memory But a Villain shall make Free-land Villain by Seisin or by Claim of the Lord. If a Villain purchase Land and take a Wife and alien and dies before the Claim of Seisin of the Lord the Wife shall be endowed In case the Lord bring a Praecipe quod reddat against the Alience of his Villain who vouches to warrant the Issue of the Villain which is Villain to the Lord he shall have the Voucher And by protestation the Lord may notwithstanding he plead with his Villain save his Villain from being infranchised A Bastard shall not be judged Villain but by knowledge in Court of Record If Debt be due by a Lord to a Free-man and he makes two Men his Executors who are Villains to the said Lord and dies the Villains shall have an Action of Debt against their Lord. And notwithstanding that he plead with them and if he make Protestation they shall not be thereby infranchised for that they are to recover the Debt to the use of another person that is to say their Testator and not to their own use And if the Tenant in Dower have a Villain who purchases certain Land in Fee and after the Tenant in Dower enters she shall have the Land to her and her heirs for ever And the same Law is of Tenant for term of years of a Villain The Lord may rob beat and chastise his Villain at his will save only that he â— ay not maim him for then he shall have an Appeal of Maihem against him A Villain may have three Actions against his Lord that is to say an Appeal of the death of his Ancestor an Appeal of Rape done to his Wife and an Appeal of Miahem If two Parteners bring a Writ of Niefty and one of them be Nonsuit the Nonsuit of him shall be judged the Nonsuit of both so that if that Nonsuit be after Appearance they shall be barred from that Action for ever for such is the Law in favor of Liberty If two have a Villain in common and one of them makes him a Manumission he shall not be made free against both In a Writ de Nativo habendo it behoves that the Lord shew how the Defendant comes to be privy of the Blood of the Villain of whom he is Lord c. And if he nor any of his Aucestors were seised of any of his Blood he shall not gain by his Action if the Villain have not acknowledged himself in Court of Record to be his Villain In a Writ of Niefty may not be put more Niefs then two and this was first introduc'd in hatred of Bondage But in a Writ de Libertate probanda may be put as many Niefes as the Plaintiff will If the Villain be fled into Ancient Demesne of the King or other Town priviledged within a year and a day the Lord may seise him and if he dwell in the same Town or other place Franchised by a year and a day without seisin of the Lord he hath no power to seise him after if he go not out of the foresaid Franchise Some are Villains by title of Prescription that is to say that all their Blood have been Villains regardants to the Mannor of the Lord from time out of mind And some are made Villains by their Confession in a Court of Record Also the Lord may make a Manumission to his Villain and enfranchise him for ever If a Villain bring any Action against his Lord other then an Appeal of maihem and the Lord without protestation make answer to it by this the Villain is made free Also if a Villain purchase Land and hath Goods and sell the Goods and Lands before any Entry or Seisin made by the Lord the sale is good But the King Lord of a Villain in such case may enter and seise the Land after such sale made For no time runs against the King Note that this Title and Tenure are abolished by the Statute of Car. 2. R. Villanous judgement VIllanous judgment is that which is given upon an Indictment of Conspiracy viz. that the party found guilty shall lose the benefit of the Law shall never more be sworn in Iuries or Assises nor admitted to give any Testimony cise where and if he have to do in the Kings Courts he shall come by Attorney and not in person that his Lands Goods and Chattels shall be seised in the Kings hands and estreaped if he find not the more favor and his Trees digg'd up and his Body imprisoned See 24 E. 3. fol. 34. b. 27 Ass pl. 59. Virgata terrae VIrgata terrae
See Yard-land Viscount VIscount is either the name of a degree or State of Honour under an Earl and above a Baron or else the name of a Magistrate and an Officer of great Authority whom we commonly call Sheriff or to speak more truly Shire reve and was at the first called Shire gereve that is the Keeper of the Shire or the Reeve or Ruler of the Shire for Gereve is derived of the Saxon word Gerefa i. a Ruler And hereof comes Portreve or Portgreve a name in old time given to the head Officer of a Town and signifies the Ruler of the Town for that Port coming of the Latine word Portus signifies a Port-town and Greve being derived as aforesaid signifies a Ruler so that Portgreve or as we now shorter speak a Portreve is the Ruler of the Town And thus was the Head Officer or Governor of the City of London long since before they had the name of Mijor or Bayliffs called as it doth appear in divers old Menuments but chiefly in the Saxon Charter of William the Conquerour which begins thus William the King greeteh William the Bishop and Godfrey the Portreve and also the Citizens that in London be c. So also they of Germany from whom we and our Language first came call one Governor Burgreeve another Margreeve and another Lansgreeve with such like c. Thus much is said only to shew the right Etymon and Antiquity of the word Sheriff to which Officer our Common Law hath always given so great Trust and Authority as to be a special Preserver of the Peace And therefore all Obligations that he takes to that end are Recognisances in Law He is a Iudge of Record when he holds the Leets or Turns which are Courts of Record Also he hath the Execution and Return of Writs and impannelling of Iuries and such like c. Uncore prist UNcore prist is a Plea for the Defendant in Debt upon an Obligation who being sued because he did not pay the Debt at the day pleads to save the Forfeiture that he rendred the money at the day and place and that no Body was there to receive it and says over That he is yet ready to pay it And where a man ought to plead over that he is yet ready and where not see in Perkins sect 783 784. Coke 9 book fol. 79. a b in Peyto's Case Volunt VOlunt is when the Tenant holds at the Will of the Lessor or Lord and that is in two manners One is when I make a Lease to a man of Lands to hold at my Will then I may put him out at my pleasure but if he sow the Ground and I put him out then he shall have his Corn with egress and regress till it be ripe to cut and carry it out of the ground Such Tenant at Will is not bound to sustain and repair the House as Tenant for years is But if he make wilful waste the Lessor shall have against him an Action of Trespass Also there is another Tenant at Will of the Lord by Copy of Court-Roll according to the Custome of the Mannor and such a Tenant may surrender the Land into the hands of the Lord according to the Custom to the use of another for Life in fee or in tail and then he shall take the Land of the Lord or his Steward by Copy and shall make Fine to the Lord. But if the Lord put out such a Tenant he hath no remedy but to sue by Petition And if such a Tenant will implead another of the Lands c. he ought to enter a Plaint in the Court and shall declare in the nature of what Writ he will as the case lies Voucher VOucher is when a Praecipe quod reddat of Land is brought against a man and another ought to warrant the Land to the Tenant then the Tenant shall vouch him to Warranty and thereupon he shall have a Writ called Summoneas ad Warrantizandum And if the Sheriff return that he hath nothing by which he may be summoned then there shall go forth a Writ called Sequatur sub suo periculo And when he comes he shall plead with the Demandant And if he come not or if he come and cannot bar the Demandant then the Demandant shall recover the Land against the Tenant and the Tenant shall recover as much Land in value against the Vouchee and thereupon shall have a Writ called Capias ad Valentiam against the Vouchee See more of Voucher before in the Title of Garranty Uses USes of Land had beginning after the Custom of Property began amongst men as where one being seised of Lands in Fee-simple made a Feoffment to another without any Consideration but only meaning that the other should be seised to his Use and that he himself would take the Profits of the Lands and that the feoffee should have the Possession and Franktenement thereof to the same use c. Now after this upon good Considerations and to avoid divers Mischiefs and Inconveniences was the Statute of An. 27 H. 8. c. 10. provided which unites the Use and possession together so that he who hath the Use of the Land hath the Possession thereof according to the Vse he hath therein by virtue of that Statute Usurpation USurpation is most commonly used when any one presents a Rector or Vicar to a Church without a good Title Stat. Westm 2. cap. 5. Co. 6. Rep. 51. 11 Rep. 33. Usury USury is a Gain of any thing above the Principal or that which was lent exacted only in Consideration of the Loan be it as well Corn Meat Apparel Wares or such like as Money And here much might be said and many Cases put concerning Vsury which of purpose I omit only I wish they who account themselves Religious and good Christians would not deceive themselves by colour of the Statute of Usury because the Statute saith that it shall not be lawful for any to take above xi pound in the C. l. for a year c. whereby they gather though falsly that they may therefore take six pounds for the Loan of an Hundred pounds with a good Conscience because the Statute doth after a sort dispense with it because it doth not punish such taking For God will have his Decrees to be kept inviolable who saith Lend looking for nothing thereby c. by which words is excluded either the taking of vi l. v. l. yea or one peny above the Principal But rather let such think that Statute was moved upon like cause that moved Moses to give a Bill of Divorce to the Israelites as namely to avoid a greater mischief and for the hardness of their hearts And the Statute of 21 Jac. cap. 17. hath expresly Ordained That no word in that Law shall be Construed and Expounded to allow the practice of Vsury in point of Religion or Conscience By the Statute of 13 Eliz. c. 8. the Loan of Money was at 10 l. per Cent. by
Law is if the Tenant holds of his Mesne by like Service as the Mesne holds over of the Lord and the Tenant doth or pays his Services to the Mesne but the Mesne doth not his Services to the chief Lord wherefore he distrains the Beasts of the Tenant In this case the Mesne for the equalness of the Services ought to acquit the Tenant of the Service due unto the Lord. Also there is Acquital in Law acquital in fact Acquital in Law is when two are appealed or indicted of Felony the one as Principal the other as Accessory the Principal being discharged the Accessory by consequence is also acquitted And in this case as the Accessory is acquitted by the Law so is the Principal in Fact Stamf. pl. cor fol. 168. Acquittance ACquittance is a Discharge in Writting of a Sum of money other Duty which ought to be paid or done As if one be bound to pay money upon Obligation or Rent reserved upon a Lease or such like and the party to whom the money or duty should be paid or done upon the Receipt thereof or upon other agreement between them had makes a writing or Bill of his hand in discharge thereof witnessing that he is paid or otherwise contented and therefore doth acquit and discharge him of the same Which Acquittance is such a Discharge and Bar in the Law that he cannot demand and recover the sum or duty again if he produce the Acquittance This word differs from that which in the Civil Law is called Acceptation because that may be by word without writting and is nothing but a feigned Payment and discharge though no payment be had Nor can it be said to be Apocha which is a witnessing the payment or delivery of money whch disscharges not unless the money be paid Acre ACre is a certain parcel of Land that contains in length forty Perches and in breadth four Perches or of this quantity be the length more or less And if a man will erect a new Cottage he ought to lay four Acres of Land unto it according to this measure 31 Eliz. cap. 7. And with this measure agrees Master Crompton in his Jurisdiction of Courts fol. 222. Yet he saith that according to divers customs of several Countries the Perch differs being in some places and most usually but sixteen foot and an half But in the County of Stafford the Perch is twenty four foot as was heretofore adjudged in the Exchequer In the Stat. made an 24 H. 8. c. 14 for the sowing of Flax 166 Perches make au Acre The Ordinance of Measuring of land made an 34 E. 1. St. 1. agrees with this account Action ACtion is the form of a Suit given by the Law to recover a thing as an Action of Debt and such like or as it is Co. 8. f. 151 a. An Action is a right of prosecuting to judgment that which is due to any one See the Lexicon of the Law for Action Action of a Writ ACtion of a Writ is a phrase of speech used when one pleads some matter by which he shews that the Plaintiff had no cause to have the writ which he brought and yet it may be that he may have another writ or Action for the same matter Such a Plea is called a Plea to the Action of the Writ whereas if by the Plea it should appear that the Plaintiff hath no cause to have an Action for the thing demanded then it shall be called a Plea to the Action Action upon the Case ACtion upon the Case is a writ brought against one for an offence done without force as for not performing promise made by the Defendant to the Plaintiff or for speaking of words by which the Plaintiff is defamed or for other misdemaenour or deceit where the whole case shall be contained in the Writ Trover Nusance Slander of the person Trade Title Escape on mesne Process For negligent keeping Fire for inartificial performing work for turning an ancient Water-course for a Commoner against one who digs the soil of his Common or puts his Cattel into it without right or incloses part of the Cemmon Action mixt ACtion mixt is a Suit given by the Law to recover the thing demanded and damages for the wrong done as in Ass of Novel dis which Writ if the Disseisor make a Feoffm to another the Diseissce shall have against the Disseissor and the Feoffee or other Tertenant and thereby shall recover his Seissn of the land and his damages for the mean profits and for the wrong done him And so is an Action of Waste Quare impedit But an Action of Detinue is not called an Action mixt although by it the thing withheld is demanded and shall be recovered if it may be found and damages for the withholding and if it cannot be found then damages for the thing and the detaining But that is called only an Action personal because it should be brought only for Goods and Chattels or Charters Action upon the Statute ACtion upon the Statute is a Writ founded upon any Statute whereby an Action is given to one in any case where no action was before As where one commits perjury to the prejudice of another who is indamaged shall have a Writ upon the Statute and his case And the difference between an Action upon the Statute and Action popular is That where the Statute gives the Suit or Action to the party grieved or otherwise to one person certain that is called Action upon the Statute But where by the Statute Authority is given to every one that will to sue that is termed Action popular Actions personal ACtions personal are such Actions whereby a man claims debt or other Goods and Chattels or damage for them or damages for wrong done to his person and it is properly that which in the Civil Law is called Actio in personam which is brought against him who is bound by Covenant or Default to give or grant any thing Action Popular ACtion popular is an Action given upon the breach of some penal Statute which Action every man that will may sue for himself and the King by information or otherwise as the Statute allows and the case requires Aud of these Actions there are an infinite number but one for example as when any of the Iury that are impannelled and sworn to pass between party and party indifferently do take any thing of the one side or other or of both parties to say their Verdicts on that side then any man that will within the year following the offence may sue a writ called Decies tantum against him or them that so did take to give his Verdict And because this Action is not given to one especially but generally to any of the Kings people that will sue it is called an Action popular But in this case when one hath begun to pursue an Action no other may sue it and in this as it seems it varies from an Action popular by the Civil
Law Actions real ACtions real are such Actions whereby the Demandant claims title to any Lands or Tenements Rents or Commons in Fee simple Fee-tail or for Term of life Every Action real is either possessory that is of his own possession or seisin or ancestrel scil of the seisin or possession of his ancestor Co. lib. 6. fol. 3. Acts. ACts of Parliament are positive Laws which consist of two parts that is to say of the words of the Act and of the sense and they both joyned together make the Law Additions ADdition is that which is given to a man besides his proper name and Surname that is to shew of what Estate Degree or Mystery he is and of what Town Hamlet or County Additions of Estate are these Yeoman Gentleman Esquire and such like Additions of Degree are these which we call names of Dignity as Knight Earl Marquess Duke Additions of Mystery are Scrivener Painter Mason Carpenter and all other of like nature for Mystery is the craft or occupation whereby a man gets his living Additions of Town as Sale Dale and so of the rest And where a man hath a houshold in two places he shall be said to dwell in both of them so that his Addition in one of them doth sufice By the Statute An. 1 H. 5. c. 5. it was or dained that in Suits or Actions where process of Vtlagary lies such Additions should be to the name of the Defendant to shew his estate mystery and place where he dwells and that such writs shall abate if they have not such Additions if the Defendant take exception thereto but they shall not abate by the Office of the Court. Also Duke Marquess Earl or Knight are none of those Additions but names of Dignity which should have been given before the Statute And this was ordained by the said Statute to the iutent that one man might not be grieved nor troubled by the Vtlary of another But that by reason of the certain Addition every man might be certainly known and bear his own burthen Adjournment ADjournment is when any Court is dissolved and determined for the present and afsigned to be kept again at another place or time and methinks is compounded of two words ad or al and jour Admeasurement of Dower ADmeasurement of Dower is a writ that lies where a woman is endowed by an Infant or by a Gardian of more than she ought to have the Heir in such case shall have this writ whereby the woman shall be admeasured and the Heir restored to the overplus But if one abate that is one who hath no right enter after the death of the husband and indow the wife of him that is dead of more than she ought to have the Heir shall not have this Writ but Assise â— Mort dancestor against the Woman and if she plead that she was indowed of the Land as of the Free-hold of her husband the Heir shall shew how she was indowed by the Abator and that she had more than she ought to have and shall pray that he may be restored to the surplusage and if it be found he shall be restored Admeasurement of Pasture ADmeasurement of Pasture is a Writ that lies where many Tenants have Common appendant in another ground and one overcharges the Common with many Beasts then the other Commoners may have this Writ against him And also it may be brought by one Commoner only but then it ought to be brought against all the other Commoners against him that surcharged for that all the Commoners shall be admeasured And this Writ lies not against him nor for him that hath Common appurtenant or Common in gross but those who have Common appendant or Common because of vicinage See the diversity of all these Commons afterwards in the title of Common Also this Writ lies not for the Lord nor against the Lord but the Lord may distrain the beasts of the Tenant that are surplusage But if the Lord overcharge the Common the Commoner hath no remedy by the Common Law but an Assise of his Common Administrator ADministrator is he to whom the Ordinary commits the Administration of the goods of a dead man for default of an Executor and an Action shall lie against him and for him as for an Executor and he shall be charged to the value of the Goods of the dead man and no further unless it be by his own false Plea or by wasting the goods of the dead If the Administrator die his Executors are not Administrators but it behoves the Ordinary to commit a new Administration And if a stranger that is not Administrator nor Executor take the Goods of the dead and administer of his own wrong he shall be charged and sued as an Executor and not as Administrator in any Action brought against him by any Creditor But if the Ordinary make a Letter ad colligendum bona defuncti he that hath such a Letter is not Administrator but the Action lieth against the Ordinary as well as if he take the goods in his own hand or by the hand of any of his Servants by any other Commandment There is also another sort of Administrator where one makes his will and makes an infant under the age of 17 his Executor The Bishop commits Administration to some friend during the nonage of the Executor which Administrator if he sue does not declare that the deceased died intestate Which Administration ceases when the Infant is 17 years old Admiral ADmiral is a high Officer that has the Government of the Kings Navy and the hearing and determining of all Causes as well civil as criminal belonging to the Sea and to that purpose hath his Court called the Admiralty He may cause his Citation to be served upon the Land and take the paries body or goods in execution upon the Land Also he hath cognizance of the death or maihem of a man committed in any great Ship fleeting in great Rivers in the Realm beneath the Bridges of the same next the Sea Also to arrest Ships in the great Streams for the Voiages of the King and Realm and hath Iurisdiction in the said Streams during the same Voiages Ad quod damnum AD quod Damnum is a Writ which ought to be sued before the King grant certain Liberties as a Fair Market or such like which may be prejudicial to others And thereby it shall be required if it should be a prejudice to grant them and to whom it shall be prejudicial and what prejudice shall come thereby There is also another Writ of Ad quod damnum if any one will turn a Common high-way and lay out another way as veneficial Both which though found to be prejudicial may be traversed in another Action although the King hath made his grant pursuant to the Verdicts of the Iury. Advent ADvent is a time which contains about a month next before the Feast of the Nativity of our Saviour Christ In which our
the land extends but to the moiety of a Knight's fee then the Tenant is bound to follow his Lord but 20 days if a fourth part then 10 days Fitzh Nat. Brev fol. 83. c. 84. c e. The other kind of Escuage uncertain is called Castleward where the Tenant by his land is bound either by himself or some other to defend a Castle as often as it shall come to his turn Escuage certain is where the Tenant is assessed to a certain summe of money to be paid instead of such uncertain service as that a man shall pay yearly for a Knights Fee 20 shillings for the half 10 shillings or any such rate And this Service because it is drawn to a certain Rent comes to be of a mixt nature not meerly Socage for it smells not of the Plow and yet Socage in effect being now neither personal service nor incertain Chivalry hath other conditions annexed thereunto as Homage Fealty Wardship Relief and Marriage Bract. l. 2. c. 35. and what they signifie see in their several places Chivalry is either general or special Dyer fol. 161. plac 47. General seems to be where it is only said in the Feoffment that the Tenant holds by Knights Service without any specification of Sergeanty Escuage c. Special is that which is declared particularly what kind of Knights service he holds by See the Statute 12 Car. 2. c. 24 Thing in Action THing in Action is when a man hath cause or may bring an Action for some duty due to him as an Action of Debt upon an Obligation Annuity or Rent Action of Covenant or Ward Trespasse of goods taken away Beating or such like and because they are things whereof a man is not possessed but for recovery of them is driven to his Action they are called Things in Action And those Things in Action that are certain the King may grant and the Grantee may have an Action for them in his own name only But a common person cannot grant his Thing in Action nor the King himself his Thing in Action which is uncertain as Trespass and such like But of late times it is used in London that Merchants and others there who have Bills without Seals for payment of Money assign them to others who bring actions in their own names Churchesset CHurchesset is a word whereof Flet. l. 1. c. 47. in the end thus writes It signifies a certain Measure of Wheat which in times past every man on St. Martins day gave to Holy Church as well in the time of the Britains as of the English Yet many great persons after the coming of the Romans gave that Contribution according to the ancient Law of Moses in the name of the First-fruits as in the Work of King Kanutus sent unto the Pope is contained in which they call the Contribution Chirchsed as one would say Church-seed Church-wardens CHurch-wardens are Officers yearly chosen by the consent of the Minister and the Parishioners according to the custom of every several place to see to the Church Church-yard and such things as belong to both and to observe the behaviour of the Parishioners for such crimes as appertain to the jurisdiction or censure of the Ecclesiastical Court These are a kind of Corporation and are enabled by Law to sue for any thing belonging to their Church or the Poor of the Parish See Lambert's Duty of Church-wardens Cinque Port. CInque Port are five Haven-towns that is Hastings Romney Hythe Dover and Sandwich to which have been granted long time since many Liverties which other Port-towns haue not and that first in the time of King Edward the Confessor which have been increased since and that chiefly in the days of the three Edwards the first the second and third as appears in Dooms-day book and other old Monuments too long to recite Circuity of Action CIrcuity of Action is when an Action is rightfully brought for a Duty but yet about the bush as it were for that it might as well have been otherwise answered and determined and the Suit saved and because the same Action was more then needful it is called Circuity of Action As if a man grant a Rent-charge of x. li out of his Mannor of Dale and after the Grantee disseises the Grantor of the same Manor and he brings an Assise and recovers the land and xxli damages which xx.li. being paid the Grantee of the Rent sues his Action for x. li of his Rent due during the time of the Disseisin which if no Disseisin had been he must have had This is called Circuity of Action because it might have been more shortly answered for whereas the Grantor shall receive xx.li. damages and pay x. li Rent he may haue received but the x. li only for the damages and the Grantee might have cut off and kept back the other x. li in his hands by way of deteiner for his Rent and so thereby might have saved his Action Circumstantibus CIrcumstantibus is a word of Art signifying the Supply and making up the number of Iurors if any impannelled do not appear or are challenged by either party by adding to them as many others of those that are present and standers by See 35 H. 8. c. 6. 5 El. c. 25. City CIty is such a Town corporate as hath a Bishop and a Cathedral Church whereof such words are found The same place is called Urbs Civitas and Oppidum It is called Civitas in regard it is governed in justice and order of Magistracy Oppidum for that there are therein great plenty of Inhabitants and Urbs because it is in due form begirt about with Walls But that place is commonly called Civitas which hath a Bishop Yet Crompton in his Jurisdictions reckons up all the Cities and leaves out Ely although it hath a Bishop and a Cathedral Church and puts in Westminster notwithstanding it now hath no Bishop And 35 El. 6. Westminster is called a City and Anno 27 ejusd c. 5 of Statutes not printed Westminster is alternative called a City or Borough It appears by the Stat. 35 H. 8. c. 10. that then there was a Bishop of Westm Cassanaeus writes that France hath within its Territories 104 Cities and gives this reason because there are so many Sees of Archbishops and Bishops Clack CLack as to clack force and bard wool 8 H 6. cap. 22. whereof the first viz. to Clack wool is to cut off the mark of the Sheep which makes it to weigh lesse and so to pay the less Custome to the King To Force wool is to clip the upper and most hairy part of it To Bard or beard wool is to cut the head and neck from the other part of the Fleece Claim CLaim is a Challenge by any man of the property or ownership of a thing which he hath not in possession but is withholden from him wrongfully and the party that so makes this Claim shall have thereby a great advantage for by it in some cases he may