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A21071 The lavves resolutions of womens rights: or, The lavves prouision for woemen A methodicall collection of such statutes and customes, with the cases, opinions, arguments and points of learning in the lavv, as doe properly concerne women. Together with a compendious table, whereby the chiefe matters in this booke contained, may be the more readily found. Edgar, Thomas, lawyer.; Doddridge, John, Sir, 1555-1628.; I. L. 1632 (1632) STC 7437; ESTC S100217 253,135 400

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eldest dye having issue a sonne though this issue be heire to B the other sonne after the death of Alice shall have the land as néerest of blood and by Greene and Seaton if there had béene severall issues of divers sonnes and daughters to the devisor when the remainder vested it should have gone to them all But here because the daughter of him had issue a daughter when the tenant for life died and there was not issue of any sonne at the instant to take from her or with her this Daughters Daughter shall have all and though there came an after borne sonne of any of the brethren she may detaine all c. for a remainder vested is not like to fée simple discended to a daughter where a sonne Posthumus may enter And if lands be letten for life the remainder to the right heires of I. if I. dye having issue a son which entereth after the death of the tenāt for life then dieth his son shal have nothing because he was not capax at the fal of the remainder likewise where there is a brother sister lands are let for life to an estranger the remainder to the right heires of the brother if he and the tenant for life die the sister may enter and retaine the possession and fée though the brothers wife bee afterward delivered of a sonne in like sort did the remainder rest in the child of Ma●d in Eliz. viz. which recovered by award 30. Assi p. 47. But where there is father and sonne which sonne purchaseth and dieth without issue and an uncle entereth if two yeares after the father hath a sonne by the mother of the purchasor this sonne may enter and put out the uncle and the reason of Law is that hée that comes in by purchase must be capax at the time when the purchase vest in him but in case of discent it is not so requisite Perk. in his Chapter of devises saith that if a devise bée made to a colledge which is not a colledge at the time of the devise it is a void devise although afterward it be made a colledge upon the same reason is Dier 13 Eliz. 303. of a devise to an infant in ventre sa mere And where a man dieth seised and his daughter entereth c. a son borne afterward may enter but it is not so in case of purchase c. for if a woman consent to a ravishor her daughter and heire enter by the statute 6. R. 2. ca. 6. the son Posthumus shall not put her out no more shall he where a daughter and heire entereth for condition broken and where a daughter hath a villain by discent which purchaseth she entereth into the perquisits an after borne sonne her brother shall have that which discended viz. the villien but not the land these cases hath Brook Discents 58. out of the Doct. and Student 5. Ed. 4. fo 58. in the case of Elizabeth Venor agreeth concerning entry made by 6. Ri. 2. And so doth Hales and Mountague in the case of Wimbish and Talbois yet Mountague Chiefe Iustice taketh there a learned difference if a man devise land for life the remainder to the right heire male of the devisor the heires of his body c. now if the devisée for life die and a woman which is heire generall to the devisor entereth and hath afterward a sonne the sonne shall never out the mother in whom is vested the inheritance for want of other persons to take the falling remainder per le melior opinion 9. H. 6 yet he saith the cases of ravishment possession of a brother abatement of a bastard c are all to bee understood of fée simple for where the entry gaineth but estate taile one may beate the bush and another take the bird so if a man seised by discent from his mother make a feofment with condition c. and die without issue if a woman heire on the father side enter for condition broken an heire male or female on the mothers side may oust her Plow c. fo 56. a. b. 57. a. West 1. ca. 22. THen West goeth on with heire females that so soone as they come to the age of fourtéene yeares if the Lord for covetousnes will not marry them yet he shall not kéepe their land above two yeares after they have accomplished 14 within which two yeares if they be not married by their Lord they may take action against him for their inheritance to recover it without paying any thing for the custody or for marriage If so be that of their proper malice or through the mischievous counsell of others such women refuse convenable marriage offered by their Lord he may in this case retaine their land untill they be of 21. yeares and longer untill he shall receive the value of their marriage Littletons words upon this statute in his 2. booke cap. 4. BY Littleton if tennant by service of Chivalry die his here female being 14. yeares old or more the Lord shall have custody neither of the land nor body for at that age a woman may have a husband able to doe knights service but if such an heire be under 14. and unmaried at the time of her auncestors death the Lord shall have ward in her land untill she be of 16. yeares age West 1. cap. 22. which getteth the Lord 2. yeares to tender marriage without disparagement and if during these two yeares the Lord tender no such marriage shee may enter and oust the Lord. If such an heire female be married under the age of 14. in the life of her ancestor which ancestor dieth before she accomplisheth 14. yeares the Lord shall have no more but the wardship of her land till shee be 14. yeares old and then her husband with her may enter into her land and put the Lord out for this is out of the Statute because the Lord may not tender marriage to her that is already married for before the Statute of West such an heire female that was under the age of 14. at the death of her ancestor and had atteined afterward to the age of 14. yeares without any tender of marriage by her Lord made unto her might well enter into her land and put out the Lord as appeareth by the rehearsall and very words of the Statute which as it séemeth so saith Littleton was made altogether for the advantage of the Lord. A suspition of Littletons error NOw saving Mr. Littletons inspiration I am greatly afraid that ye shal not finde by the text of the Statute That an heire female being under 14. at the death of her ancestor might by the common law before this Statute enter and oust her Lord as soone as she had accomplished 14. yeare of age without tender of marriage The law perhaps was so but this Statute proves it not Againe I doubt Littleton was deceived in taking this Statute to be all for the advantage of Lords yet it is
Lessor running to smoke rightly to smoke which is something more then nothing for if after all this the Lessor bring an action of waste against the Baron and Feme the Baron cannot barre her by shewing her reprisall and remitter but hee is stopped from speaking against his owne Feoffement and receipt So that here may bee an estoppell or conclusion by a matter not witnessed with specialty or any manner Scripture But if in the action of waste the Baron will make default at the grand distresse the wife vpon her prayer receiued to shew her matter shall barre the Lessor of his action right well For in euery case where a woman is receiued to plead in her husbands absence she shall haue aduantage as if shee were a Feme sole And the reason why rendring backe the land by the Alien to Baron and Feme worketh a remitter though it were by ●ne is because a Feme Couert that taketh any thing by fine is neuer examined by the Iustices But where somewhat is to bee conueyed from a Feme Couert by a fine as if Baron and Feme make cognizance to another c. or a grant or render or a release by fine in all or such like cases because the right of a Wife is passing and she shall be eternally concluded she must bee examined before the fine can be receiued and if shee confesse that her husband menaced her if shee would not leuie the fine c. it shall not be receiued 15. E 4 ●0 1. But where nothing is moued in fines saue onely a wiues purchase and gaining there is vsed none examination of her and therefore such fines doe not conclude her If Tenant in taile discontinueth it and dieth and the discontinuee makes a Lease to the Daughter and heyre of the Tenant in taile being of full age and to her husband for their two liues the daughter is remitted If Baron and Feme Tenants in speciall taile be and the Baron alieneth in fée and takes backe an estate to him and his wife for their liue● because they are but one person and the estate is likewise one and intire without moities and the Feme cannot be remitted here without the Husband be also remitted they are adiudged both in their remitter But the Baron himselfe is stopped from claiming so much contrary to his owne alienation If Lands he giuen to a Woman in taile remainder to another in taile remainder to a third in taile with remainder ouer in Fee if the woman take a husband that discontinueth in fee all the remainders are discontinued and if the Wife dyeth without Issue there is no remedie but a Formedon by turne if the first second or third Donée die without Issue But if after the discontinuance an estate be made to the Baron and Feme for their owne life or another mans life or any other estate the Wife is remitted and so are all they in remainder If the Feme die the next in remainder may enter and so is it for them in the reuersion after the caile is ended A Lease of a house is made to a Feme sole for terme of her life and in a ●aint or false action a stranger recouereth this house against her by default so that she may haue a quod ei deforcear by West 2. ca. 4. now is the reuersion of the Lessor discontinued and hee cannot haue an action of waste But if the woman marries and the recouerer lease this house to the Baron and Feme for life the wife is remitted to her first estate by the Lease the first Lessor to his reuersion and he may haue action of waste if there because Yet here if the other which recouered in the false action bring an action of waste the Baron hath no other remedie but to make default at the grand distresse and then the wife receiued may bar him by shewing the fain●nes or falshood of his action whereby he recouered If after discontinuance c. the Baron take backe estate to himselfe and his Wife and to a third person this is a remitter for a moity and for the other moity the Feme must sue her cui in vita after the death of her Husband If after discontinuance of the Wiues estate the Baron goe beyond the Seas and the discontinued lease the Land to the Wife for life and deliuer seisin if the Baron agree thereunto at his returne this is a remitter for the Feme shall be adiudged as an Infant and not as a Feme sole in this Case Quaere saith Littleton if the Baron at his returne disagree c. whether this oust the Feme of her remitter If the Baron discontinue the discontinuée be diseised and the disseisor lease the tenements to the Baron and feme for life this is a remitter to the Wife though the Baron were consenting to the disseisin But if the Baron and Feme were both of Conen and Consent to the disseisin the wife shall be a disseiseresse and not remitted If the discontinuée make backe estate to Baron and Feme by indenture vpon condition viz. rendring rent and for fault of payment re-entry and because the rent is ar●eare the discontinuée doth re-enter vpon this entry the woman may haue an assise of nouell disseisin after the husbands decease for the condition by the remitter was cleane extinct in truth though during couerture the Baron was estopped c. so that he and his Wife could not haue an assise together If the Baron discontinue take backe estate to himselfe for life the remainder after his decease to his wife for her life here is no remitter till the husband be dead but the Wife suruiuing Franke Tenement is cast vpon her maine Tenant will she nill she by act of Law and shee is remittted for though shee enter not yet shee can haue none action against any body for this land but any man that hath cause may haue action of it against her because a recipe quod reddat is maintainable against tenant in ley and that is the widdow here But Tenant of Franke Tenement in fair is one which hath an actuall seisin and vpon disseisin thereof may maintaine an assise The Statute of Glocester perceiued how by common Law a man may play fast and loose with his Wiues Inheritance by feoffement to discontinue her estate and to continue it againe by resumption and so to make it Inheritance or not to his wiues at his pleasure But a feoffement doth onely barre the Wiues entry what if to his feoffement the Baron aimes warrantie what if to his warrantie assets what if he leuie a fine Glocester ca. 3. anno 6. Ed. 1. is If Tenant by the Courtesie alion c. his sonne shall not be barred in a Writt of Mortdancester by the deed of his Father from whom none heritage is descended to demand and recouer the mothers land although his Fathers Charter be with warrantie for him and his heyres But if land descend to him de part son
hath not the force of a negatiue implying in nul auter manner then is therein described Amy is therefore a ioynt purchaser with her husband in estate for life and not in or by descent of estate ta●●e Now to say that her right and estate should change by silent operation of the Law after shee was repossessed that cannot be for the whole entry is tolled and if she be not remitted by her first possession and reprisall she is neuer remitted If a Disseisour make feoffement to the vse of the Disfeisée and after the Disseisor enter he shall be remitted but before his entry he shall not be remitted for he shall be adiudged in possession by vertue of the Statute but so soone as hee entreth he is remitted for his entry was neuer tolled But Amy Townesends entry was cleane taken away by the discontinuance c. further if she should be remitted by the Statute of 27. the remainders should be all destroyed contrary to the text of the same Statute And to the inconue●iencie alleadged if she shall not be remitted shee shall hold incombred with the charges of her Husband that is none at all for Amy after her husbands death might haue disagréed and relinquished the vse with possession annexed to it by bringing a cui in vita against him next in remainder for in him by such disagréement or vser of action had the remainder vested as though the woman had beene a Monke or dead person in Law or neuer named in the limitation If the vse had béene to Amy Townsend in fée she might haue brought her cui in vita against the Feoffor or his heyre by which they shall be Tenants to her action and so might the in●umbrance haue béene auoyded for when a feoffement is to the vse of one which refuseth the vse it shall be in effect as if the vse had beene limited to Paules stéeple or to Charing-Crosse all falling or reflecting because the Feoffor hath no recompence or consideration to his vse and hee shall be Tenant to euery Precipe It was further agreed that as the Cause fell out Amy Townesend could not be remitted though her possession had returned by refeoffemēt at the Common Law because Sir Roger Townesend her Husband outliued her for 21. Ed. 3. the Case is Baron made a Feoffement the Feoffée ●einfeoffe the Baron and Feme and heyres of the wife she woman dyed the Heyre entred the Baron brought an Assise which was iudged maintainable for whilest the Baron liued he was tenant to the heyres action And the th● Iudgement was that Amy Townsend was neuer remitted the reason was indéed because there is nothing in the Statute of 27. to make a remitter for the clause of sauing of Dr●its Titles and Actions is of such right c. as was before the Statute and not of any right title or action risen since or after it Now note that as a Lease made for twenty yeares by Baron and feme Tenants for life binds not any remainder by the Statute which speaketh onely that Leases made by Tenants of Inheritance shall binde heyres and Successors so I would inferre that if the Leassors inheritance be determined whether it were iure vxoris in taile or otherwise in taile the remainder must be frée from the Statute But note that the point which made me choose this case for illustration of the Statute is this Amy Townesend was iudged not remitted because she had no title of entry but onely by the 27 c. of vses and therefore she must néeds claime her possession according to the vse But put Case the Feoffement had béene since the Statute of 32 the Law would then haue iudged a remitter for by Littleton where any persons entry is congeable which taketh estate for life or in fée it is a remitter if the reprisall be not by Indenture or record or some matter of estoppell for alwayes where there is a double right or title the Law must iudge for the best as well in the entry as in the possession and an Indenture made by Baron and Feme is none estoppell to the Wife by the Common Law Concerning the Case 21. Ed. 3. Wilby which gaue iudgement thought the Barons aduantage a hinderance to the Remitter yet if he died the wife should be remitted But if you looke Brooke remitter 21. and 41. ye shall finde that the Feme was maintenant remitted though to saue the husbands aduantage of warranty they would not so iudge it quod mirum saith Brooke and quaere quia contrarium a ceo iour SECT XXVII Whether acceptance or taciturnity may not take away an entry at this day NO fine feoffement or other act done by the husband onely shall make any discontinuance or be preiudiciall to the wife but that she may enter c. what if Baron and Feme make a feoffement or Lease for life by solemne Indentures with Liuery and seisin cleere this takes not away at this day the wiues entry after Couerture ended But admit when shee is a widdow shee refuseth to enter and accept payment of rent or performance of couenants is not now both her entry and her action gone also euen as in case of an Infant which makes such a feoffement or Lease and accepts the rent when he is of full age The question must be answered out of the Statute and in mine opinion there is nothing in it to ayde a woman after such ratification by acceptance volenti non fit iniuria nec inuitis confirmantur beneficia A Lease by Baron Feme per Indenture is not voyd presently by the Barons death But whereas before she was driuen to suit and action shee may now enter by the Statute yet it compels her not to enter neither ca●teth any frée-hold vpon her In like manner if the Baron alone alien his Wiues Land by fine with proclamation the Wife may enter by force of this Statute but per opinionem totius curiae Ed. 6. Dyer fo 72. If she suffer fiue yeares to passe and expire without entry or vser of action she and her heyres shall be barred for euer for this Statute of 32. though it limit no time for the womans entry yet it speaketh nothing of fines with proclamation and therefore it takes not the generall Law made 4. Hen. 7. cap. 24. of fines with proclamation And sée Sir Ed. Cokes 8. Rep. fo 72. in Grenlies case SECT XXVIII Of Fines SEe further the case 18. Eliz. Dyer 351. Land holden in socage was giuen to a man and his wife in taile the remainder in sée to the Barons right heyres the Baron alone leuied a fine with proclamation to his owne vse and afterward by his last will and Testament in writing deuised the Land to his wife for life the remainder ouer to a Stranger vpon condition to pay certaine rent annually out of the land with Clause of distresse c. the Baron died the wife entering and claiming estate onely for life paid rent
vnques seisi que Dower c. THere are other pleas that goe to the action and verie right of Dower as Ne vnques seisi que Dower c. id est The husband had neuer any seisin or state of Inheritance where of the wife can claime Dower sée 45. E. 3. fol. 13. The tenant in Dower leased her whole estate to the heire rendring rent for terme of her life the heire died and this was adiudged a seisin whereof the heires wife might demand Dower though the first tenant in Dower were still aliue for the lease was a Surrender and if a stranger had entred immediately after the heires death his heire must haue had a Mordancester Ergo said one the wi●e dowable Yet marke this case ●bid a man seised c. in fée simple dies his sonne entreth and he dies the sons sonne enters and endowes his Ayl●s●e she dies a stranger abateth In this case it is cleere the sons wi●e shall haue no Dower of the portion assigned to the Aylesse though the sonnes sonne may haue a Mordancester per Kirton Finch and Mowbray But betwi●t this cas● and the other they say is great oddes for here the Grandmother endowed was in from her hus●●●● and she sonnes possession and estate howsoeuer to his ●●ire in whom the fée rested it were not destroyed but hee might bring a Mordancester yet to his wi●e it was cleane adnihilate whereas in the first case the Fée and Franckten●ment not a whit impeached by the life of her which surrendred were perfectly con●●●ned in the Baron to whom the Surrender was made And if a r●uersion be granted to I. S. of certaine lands per fai● in pais in which lands I. T. and his wi●e haue ●state for life which doe atturne and afterward surrender there is no doubt but I S. his wife if hee die shall hau● Dower though it bee indéed defeasible after death of T. K. if his wi●e suruiue and will vnd●● the Surrend●r whereas in our first case the Surrender is no way auoydable but the heires wife shall pay rent according to her portion per Finch ●b●● 14. Ed. 4. fol. 6. Tenant by the courtes●e granted his estate to him in reuersion rendring rent with clause of re-entrie for non payment the Grantée married the rent was arréere tenant per le curte●●e re-entred hee in the reuersion died his wife wa●●arred of Dower for the Surr●nder might well bee vpon candition 2. H. 4. fol. 22. In action of Dower it was pleaded that the Demandants husband had nothing in the land ●ut by 〈◊〉 done to the tenant Iudgement si action c. The woman shewed how her husbands father hauing two sonnes leased his land to the eldest sonne and to hi● wife for 〈◊〉 of the●r liues and that shee her selfe married with the youngest sonne the eldest died and his wife married with the tenant the father died the reuersion descended to the second sonne being her husband the tonants wife died and he kept possession the Demandants husband did put him out he re-entred she prayed seifin c. Brooke thinketh she ought to haue trauersed the Disseisin And if the Baron had not entred after the death of the eldest sonnes wife she should not haue béene endowed yet saith he 〈◊〉 if without entrie there had not beene a seising in Law and whether the Francktenement which the tenant had once in right of his wife ●e determined in puncto by her death 11. H. 4. 73. In action of Dower the Tenant saith That N. gaue the land to the Baron and his first wife for terme of their liues the remainder in taile to the tenant remainder in Fée to the right heires of the Baron his first wife di●d he married this demandant and then hée died and the tenant entred c. he demands Iudgement if of this estate she shall haue Dower This amounted plaine to ne vnques seisi que Dower la puit but per Hanke Thirn that plea might not serue by reason of the Fée simple in remainder which might ingender doubt●ulnesse a layes gentes But where a lease was made to Baron for life the reuers●on to the Lessor or remainder to a stranger there in action of Dower ne vnques ●ei●● ●ec i● good for no manner of Inheritance was in the husband 11. H. 4. 83. Dower was demanded of twentie pounds rent respondetur the Baron had nothing but ●oyntly with ● N. who is yet aliue ●udgement si Dower c. and he was not compelled to shew whether he pleaded as ●ertenant or as Pernor of the rent the Demandant replyed that I. N. had released all his right in the rent ●● her husband But becauss she shewed not the Déed of ●●●ease shee pleaded by aduisement of the C●urt seisie que Dower la puit Quaere of the generall ●ssue against the ●●eciall matter 11. H. 4. 88. A woman shall haue Dower of rent 〈◊〉 chased by her husband in fée though hee die before d●● of payment And if it be pleaded against her Ne vnques f●●●● que Dower c. she shall not shew the speciall matter but say seisi que Dower la puit and shew the matter i●●●●dence 22. H. 6. 4● per Newton In action of Dower the ●●nant plead Ioynt estate to the Baron and I. N. in plein vy whose estate he hath the demandant shall not say ●●●●● que dower c. vnlesse shee shew how or trauerse that I. N. tooke nothing by she Feo●ment ●9 H. 6. fol. 9. Against Dower the Tenant pleade● that I. S. seised in Fée infeoffed him and hee leased to the Baron to hold at will which estate hee continued all his life time s●ns c●o that he was seised of any such estate que Dower la puit the Iudges orderad that for the long continuance of the possession and dought deslais g●●● all should be entred 10. H. 6. 17. It is not a good plea against Dower ●o say the Baron had nothing but for terme of his life for this amounts to the generall 〈◊〉 Ne vnques seisi que Dower la puit But to say the Baron had nothing but 〈◊〉 ment with A. in fée and that A. suruiued c. This by ●●● Fée simple confessed makes a good plea. 14. H. 6. 5 6. In action of Dower the tenant said ●e was seised till by the Baron disseised vpon whom he re-entred Iudgement c. the Demandant said that before this tenant had any thing in the land W. being seised in Fée infeoffed her husband iss●●t seisi c. and she pr●●●● to be endowed per Marti● the replication is not good ●●● this might ●e before the Disseisin and before couerture too and if so then the Baron Ne vnques seisi que Dower la pu●● That yée may yet perceiue further how 〈◊〉 a point it is to take or relinquish this plea rightly mar●● well the case 30. H. 8. Dyer fol. 41. In a Writ of Dower the issue was Ne vnques
husband till his death then by his death the widdow is made sole Tenant of them so little needing either assignation or other circumstance that without new entry claime or challenge shee may haue action of her owne possession against any other that shall enter If the husband aliened intirely any lease for yéeres of his wiues it is gone irreuocable and if hee make no sale and the wife dyes hee shall haue the leafe except shee bee ioyntly possest with another and the seruing ioyntenant shall haue Commentar vpon Fitzherbert 185. If he aliened part of the estate as for ten yéeres next ensuing where the terme was for twenty the widdow may enter when ten yéeres expired But sée in that Case that if the husband rested a rent and dyes the Executors of the husband shall haue the rent for it was not incident to the reuersion yet the wife shall haue the resioue of the terme Sir Edw. Cokes Commentar vpon Fitzherbert fol. 57. b. if he aliened for the ten last yéeres shee may continue possession till those ten yéeres be commenced If the husband deuise away by his last Testament a terme for yéeres which he hath by right of his wife I suppose the deuise is ●●id as well as if it were made of some higher estate as it appeares by Perkins chap. D●●●ses and Plowd 419 in Bra 〈…〉 g●● case And the Law is all one in all respects where the Baron and Feme are possessed of lease for yeares by int●e●ties that if the estate be made to them during their couerture or by moyties that is to them ioyntly before marriage or where the Baron is possessed of a lease iure vxoris Sée Dame Ha●● case Plowd 260. And if the Baron possest of a lease for yeares in the right of his wife charge the land with a rent and die the rent is gone Plowd 4●8 in Bracebridges case for shee is remitted And if Feine Gardian in Socrage be and her Baron alienateth it and die the wife may enter And sée Dyer 8. Eliz. 25 the same is of Coppy holds per 〈…〉 der to the vse of a Feme for yeares the wife die the estate rests in the husband without a custome be to the contrary If an husband be possest of a terme for yeares in the right of his wife and Iudgement is had against him and the terme is extended and the husband dieth it shall be good against the wife as appeares by Sir Edw. Cokes 8 Rep. 96. in Ma●●ing case And see the 9. case of 50 E. 3. lib. Ass note Sir Edw. Cokes Rep. in ●ulwoods case and Plowd 26● in Damè Hales cas● where a lease made to Baron and Feme is extended for the debt of the King after the wiues drath If a man possest of a te me deuiseth it to one for his life the remainder to a woman for her life who takes an husband the husband may release that to the particular tenant although it be but a possibilitie Sir Edw. Cokes 10. Rep. 47. Lampe●●s case And if a woman hath a lease for yeares as Execut●i● and takes an husband hée may sell it per ●o● curi 〈…〉 pr 〈…〉 r Fitzherbert Dyer ●8 H. 8. 7. A woman hath a terme 〈…〉 trir the husband s 〈…〉 wits to 〈…〉 v●●n which a moytie is awarded to the pretendor of the title the wife is bound thereby but because the defendant in detinue brought by the wife for the Indenture of lease plead non d●tinet and not the speciall matter Iudgement was against him Dyer 2. E 〈…〉 183. 21. H. 7. 6. agrees If the husband discontinue the Franck tenement of his wife the apt instrument whereby to recouer it when she is a widdow is a Cu 〈…〉 vita Which though it be not so necessarie and néedfull perhaps since the Statute of 32. which disableth husbands to discontinue as it was before yet I. perceiue not by what reason the vse of it is forbidden euen in those cases where the entrie is ●ongeable for the vertue of the Writ is not decayed by lawfulnesse of the entrie neither doth free libertie to take possession prohibit the resort to Iustice and action at Law when perhaps a woman cannot or dares not enter By Common Law therefore if the Baron alien in fée the heritage of his wife or her Francktenement by Feoffment or by Demise for terme of life or in taile she may haue remedy after his decease by this Writ Of which the generall forme is Praecipe A. quod ●●d ●●● B●quae fuit vxor C●●●um messuagium 〈…〉 quod clamat esse ius hereditat suam Et in quod A. no● habet ingressum nisi per C. quondam virum c qui illud ●● de 〈…〉 isit cui in vita contradicere non pot 〈…〉 Th 〈…〉 may be in the per ●ui and post and some varietie it hath according to title of the Demandant as Qu●●● clamat 〈…〉 ius haereditatem or Vt ius maritagium or Vt ius ex●on● I. qui ipsa● B. C. virum suum feofavit in quo c. or Quam clamat tenere sibi haeredibusde corpore suo de 〈◊〉 C. quondam viri sui ex●untibus ●● d 〈…〉 ne I. or Quam clamat ess● dotem suam ex dono E. pri 〈…〉 vel secundi c. If Baron and Feme lose the wiues land● by de 〈…〉 shée may haue this Writ when shee is a widdow But if the wiues lands be recouered in a Cessauit per●de 〈…〉 ●● Baron and Feme vpon a C 〈…〉 during esp 〈…〉 shall neuer haue a Cu●●● vita 4. Ed. 2. If Baron and Feme and a third person being Ioyntenants in Fée the Baron alien the intiertie and die his widdow shall haue a Cui in vita of a inoytie during the life of the third person for it séemed the alienation was a seuerance of Ioynture saith Fitzherbert But hée sends vs to 36. Ed. 3. in his Abridgement titulo Cui in vita By which booke the wife in this case cannot haue a Cui in vita for any part so long as the third person suruiueth because they two may ioyne in a Writ of right and if hee die she may haue a Cui in vita of all Vide Librum Of lands which a man and woman purchase ioyntly before couerture the Cui in vita shall be but of a inoytie but of lands purchased ioyntly during co●e●●ure the Cui in vita is of the in 〈…〉 e and being brought of a inoytie the Writ is not good 39. H. 6. 45. for in the one case they are seised by inoyties in the other by intireties A woman by excepting lands which she and her late husband tooke in exchange or by excepting rent reserued out of it shall be b●●●ed in a Cui in vita or any other action Fitzherbert and ●6 Ed. 4. 8. Idem ius if shée accept parcell ●● her owne land in Dower but 17. Assisarum pl. 3. Brooke 24. Cui in
giue away in fée or for life the tenement which shée holdeth in Dower the heire or he which is in reuersion may maintenant haue his recouerie by Writ of Entrie and this is termed a writ of Entrie in Casu prouiso There is no doubt but Fée in this Statute signifieth both Fée simple and Fée taile And he which hath Fée simple Fée taile or Estate for life in the reuersion may haue this Writ against the Alienée or against him which is tenant of the Francktenement And this during the life of the tenant in Dower which aliened for when she is dead it lieth not per●el N●t Breu. The Statute expresseth not the writ but the forme is Praecipe A. quod reddat B. vnum tonemen um quod clamat in quod non habet ingressum nisi per C. quae suit vxo D. qui illud ei demis●● illud tenuit in dotem de dono praedicti D. quondum viri sunt cuius haeres c. quod post eemisionem per istud C. praefat ' A. contra formam Statuti Glocest c. ad praefatum ● reuerti debet performameiusdem Statuti And it may be in the Per Cui or Post If a woman recouer Dower against the heire and then alien in Fée the recouerie must be mentioned by the heire in his writ of Entrie in Casu prouiso In like manner as it must be in a writ of Entrie●d Communem Legem vpon an alienation by tenant in Dower and though this alienation be but in taile or for life yet the forme of the writ varieth not If he which hath the reuersion in Fée grant it to another and the Tenant in Dower after Atturnment alieneth in Fee the Grantée of the reuersion shall haue Writ specifying the grant Likewise if the heire grant his reuersion with Atturnment and the Grantée grants it ouer with Atturnment the third Grantée may haue a writ specifying that the woman held of the first second and third ex assignatione c. The Aunt and Néece hauing the reuersion by discent may ioyne in this writ and the processe is summons grand and petit cape SECT XXX The Writ if Enirie in Casa coasimili THis Writ is in nature like the other and it lyeth when Tenant by the courtesie or Tenant for his owne life or another mans alieneth in fée or in taile or for terme of life he in the reuersion which hath it for life or in taile or in fée may haue this Writ of Entrie in Casu consimili during the life of him which aliened and this is formed and granted vpon West 2. cap. 24. which willeth That as often as there is a Writ found in Chancerie for one case and another case falling sub eodem●●●e and requiring like remedy there is none in the registrie of the Chancerie for that the Clerks of the Chancerie shall concord in framing a writ Vel atterminent quaer●ntes in proximo Parliamento scribantur vsus in quibus concordare non possunt c. referant eos ad proximum Parliamentum fiat breue de consensu Iurisperitor●m ne conting●td● caetero quod curia Domini Regis deficiat conquerentibus in Iustitia perquirenda The Writ is Reuerti debet performam statuti in consimili casu prouisi And it supposeth alwayes altenation in feodo although the Tenant leased or dem sed it but for terme of another mans life or in taile And so the writ of in Casu prouiso And that of Entrie ad Communem Legem This writ may be in the per cui and post And without title made in the writ if if so be that the Demandant himselfe made the particular estate of him which aliened But if the father or other Ancestor make a lease for terme of life and die and then the Tenant for life alieneth in fée now the heire in reuersion shall haue a writ comprising his title in it selfe And if this writ be brought vpon alienation made by Baron and Feme the writ supposeth that the wife aliened with her husband but yet shée may haue a Cui in vita after her husbands death the alienation not letting it If Tenant for life grant his estate to another and the grantee alieneth in fée the Writ shall be in quod non habet ingressum nisi per C. cu● D. qui illud tenuit ad vitam ex demissione B. de●●sit ad eusdem te●m●num c. If a man make a lease for life and dye and his heire grant the reuersion to B. and the Tenant att●●nes If now the lessée grant his estate to another which alieneth in fee to A. B. shall haue a Writ comprehending the assignation and grant of all the estates If lands bee giuen to two men and to the heires of one of them and he which hath the fée simple dies and then the Tenant for life alieneth in fée now the heire of him in remainder may haue this Writ for it lyeth as well for him as for Tenant in reuersion If any Abbot or Prior make a lease for life the lessée alien the Prior dye c the successor may haue this Writ Also tenant in taile may haue it if hee make a lease for life and his lessee alien in fée And it séemes if Tenant in taile make a lease for life of the lessee and dye the issue in taile may choose to bring a Formdon or Writ of Entrie in Consimili casu against the alienée whilst the lessée for life is yet liuing for the alienée which is Tenant in the Action cannot plead in Abatement of the Writ that the Demandant hath title to a Formedone But if Tenant in taile make a lease for terme of his owne life which is no discontinuance if now the lessee alien in fee and the lessor dye his heire cannot haue a Writ de consimili casu but he is driuen to his Formedone for in this case he hath no title to other Actions by colour of any demise But in the former case he had title by reason of the discontinuance made for life to claime by right of the new reuersion discended so that hee had a double title the reuersion reserued sur le seas and the title in taile consequently election of Action Quaere P. 17. Ed. 3. A lease made for life the remainder to another in fée the lesses aliened in fée and a writ de consimili casu brought by him in the remainder and it abated for the Court said that hee in remainder was not possessed in fait till the remainder did fall after the death of the ●essée Saith Fi●zherbert the Law is not so taken at this day but that hee in remainder hath the remainder vested in him as well as hath hee in the reuersion for hee may haue an action of waste and enter for alienation of his tenement as well as hee in the reuersion may Ergo hee hath his remainder in fa●t and mee séemeth this Iudgement was not well giuen saith Fitzherbert And
Hill 18 E. 2. it was held by Herle Iustice that the Writ lieth well enough for him in remainder And Tri. 31. E 1. the heire in taile maintained a writ of entry in Consimili casu vpon alienation made by tenant le curtesie SECT XXXI The Writ of Entrie ad communem legem THe Writ of Entry at Common law is giuen in Case where Tenant in Dower or per curtesie or for life doth alien in fée or in taile or for life c. now if the Tenant which aliened doe dye hec in the reuersion must take this Writ of Entry ad communem legem which is very like the former Writs and may be in the per cui post If a woman recouer Dower alien and dye the Writ of Entry ad communem legem must make mention of the recouery And if Tenant by the curtesie ali●● in fée and dye he in the reuersion if he be heire in fée simple may sue this Writ or his Assise of Mo●● dancester giuen by the Statute of Glocester ca. 3. If Tenant for life alien in fée and dye the Writs for him in reuersion are in diuers formes for if hee haue the reuersion by discent the Writ is in quod idem A. non habet ingressum nisi per C. c●i D. pator vel antecessor of the Demandant cuius haeres c. demised c. But when the Demandant himselfe made the lease to him which aliened then the Writ is or may be P●aecipe quod recidat c. omitting these words quod clomat vt ius haereditatem and note if Tenant for life alien in fee and dye hee in reuersion may chuse whether he will haue this writ or an ad terminum qui praeteriit If Tenant for life grant his estate and hee in reuersion grant his reuersion with Atturnement if now the Tenant which atturned alien in fée the grantée of the reuersion shall haue a Writ mentioning the grant and assignation c. SECT XXXII More of forfeitures and how a particular Tenant may forfeit his estate without alienation NOte If Tenant for life lease the land to I. S. for terme of life of I. S. which dyeth the first leas●e still liuing hee shall not haue the land againe because hee leased more than was in him and therefore hee in the reuersion shall haue it But if two be seised for life the inheritance in fée to one of them and ioyne in a lease for life and the leasee dyeth they shall bee ioynt tenants againe ꝑ Littleton 13. E. 4. fol. 4. Because hée which had the fée was priuy to the lease and so the other gained no new reuersion It is yet further to be vnderstood both that he in reuersion may enter vpon alienations made by particular Tenants vt supia to his disinheritance without suing the aboue mentioned Writs And also that there are sundry other forfeitures to the Reuersioner besides expresse alienations which I would haue widdowes to take héed of 6. Edw. 3. fol. 17. In Action of waste by an Infant against Tenant by his fathers demise he pleades that the father confirmed his estate to haue and to hold to him and his heires in fee by his déed shewed to the Court Iudgement si c. It was said for verity that if the claime were found false the heire might enter Page 64. in Fitzh And if a reuersion bee granted by fine and the conuse brings a quid iuris clamat against the Tenant for life which pleadeth that shee hath estate in taile by deuise in Testament from the Commissors if it bee found by verdict that shee hath but estate for life that estate is forfeited Quod vide Plowd fol. 212. in Saunders in Fremans Case where the entry for the conusée is consideratum est pro seisina redd●t praed cum partium versus c. occasionae clam ' placit praedict ' forisfact ' habend ' si voluerit persequatur ac etiam quod finis praed si voluerit ingrossetur Plesingtons Case 6. R. 2. was this A man made a lease for yéeres and granted further by Indenture if he aliened the reuersion or dyed within the te●me that the leassée should haue francketenement and liuery was made the fée simple was granted by fine c. and in a quid iuris clamat the leassee claimed francket●nement iudgement was giuen that the cognisée might enter for a forfeiture and that the fine should be engrossed si voluerit Sée 3. 4. Eliz. Dier 209. in a like case the iudgement was not quod quaerens recuperet seisinam but quod prosequatur pro seisina si voluerit finis ingrossetur c. SECT XXXIII The Statute of 11. H. 7. cap 20. THe Common Law restrictiue of it selfe and helped something by the Statute of Glocester was sufficient a great while to bridle women from making alienations for any land that they held in Dower or Ioynture as arguments of their owne good deserts and testimonies of their husbands loue But time which made the art of fencing more fine than it was at the first when Combattants fought all at head and shoulders and it was greater shame to strike vnder the girdle than it is now made law also more subtile than in the beginning it was when lands went altogether or for the most part by liuery of seisin And women witty of themselues instructed by crafty men grew cunning at the last that they could alien lands holden for life or in taile to whom they listed in fée And hee which suffereth disinheritance should not easily helpe himselfe by Writ of Entry either ad communem legem or in casu prouiso for remedy whereof was made this seuere statute in effect as followeth 11. H. 7. If any woman which hath had or hereafter shall haue any estate in Dower or for life or in taile ioyntly with her husband or only to her selfe or to her vse in any Manors Lands Tenements or other Hereditaments of the inheritance or purchase of her husband or giuen to the husband and wife in taile or for terme of life by any Ancestors of the husband or by any other person seised to the vse of the husband or of his Ancestors and haue or shall hereafter being sole or with any other after taken to husband discontinued or discontinue aliened released or confirmed alien release or confirme with warranty or by couin suffered or suffer any recouery of the same against them or any of them or any other seised to their vse or to the vse of either of them after the forme aforesaid that all such recoueries discontinuances alienations releases confirmations and warranties so had and made and from henceforth to be had and made be vtterly void c. And that it shall be lawfull to euery person and persons to whom the interest title or inheritance after the decease of the said woman of the said manors lands or tenements or other hereditaments being discontinued aliened or suffored
the husbands Ancestors that they should doe nothing preiudiciall to the heires But in this case there came no Ioynture from the husband but contrariwise the wife had made a Ioynture to her husband and after his decease to bridle the woman to doe what shée listed with her owne inheritance were against all reason and as farre from any affinitie with 11. H. 7. as it should be when a woman seised in Fée simple giues lands to the father of him whom she intends to marrie to the intent that he regrant this land to his sonne and her after marriage with a remainder in taile c. to restraine her when after marriage regranting and death of the husband she should leuie a fine to other vses or suffer a recouerie which case though it be cleane out of the Statute yet it is within the words for the ●oynture was made by the Barons Ancestor though not originally c. And so note those two cases of Plowd one is taken to be within the intent though out of the letter and the other though within the letter yet out of the intent and yet both constructions most reasonable and iust And see Sir George Brownes case Sir Edw. Cokes ● R●p that a lease made by a woina● t●nant in ta●le of the gift of her husband c. make a lease for thrée li●s● that is not warranted by the Statute of 32. H. 8 and although the lease be without clause of Warrantie yet it is within the Statute of 11. H. 7. for those words in the act with warrantie refer to releases and confirmations which makes no discontinuance without warrantie for the inte●t of the Act is to pro●ibit not onely euerie barre but ●ueri● manner of discontinuance which puts the heire to his reall action And in that case it was resolued that if the issue in taile had before the womans for feiture granted his remainder onely in that case hee by the ex●resse letter of the Act shall enter vpon the discontinuance of the woman for his act doth not bi●de his estate But when the issue in taile leuie a fine with praclamation in the life of the woman tenant in taile c. that shall binde the taile and therefore there the Conusée shall enter for hée which hath the immediate title interest or inheritance at the time of the for feiture shall enter by that Statute And it was said by Anderson Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas that where it was in●ented for to mak● eua●●●ne out of the Statute that if such a woman tenant in taile accepts a fine sur conusans de droit come c●o c. and by grant and renders the land for a th●usand yeares that is an alien●tion within the intention of the Act although the words of the Act are discontinuance ali●nation c. and of that opinion was W●ay Chiefe Iustice and Dyer and all the Court of Commo● Pleas was of the same opinion 18. Eliz. And in Sir Edw. ●okes 3. Rep. Lincolne College case It was resolued that if the heire in taile conuey the lands to others and the woman tenant in taile release or maks con●●r●nation with wa●rantie which is not but to perfect and corroborate the estate which the heire in taile hath made such a warrantie is not restrained by the said Act for that which the woman hath done is for the benefit of the heire and not for his preiudice and by his a●●ent And she and the heir●●●ight haue i●yned a fine and so barre the estate taile not with standing the Statute of 11. H. 7. therefore such Acts by the woman shall not be void to grant the h●ire or any else any aduantage by the Statute of 11. H. 7. And note the opinion of Sir Edw. Coke in the said case of Lincolne College that the sonne borne after shall by this Statute out the daughter who entred for forfeiture and ●●ew●● other opinions concurring y●● in Dyer 21. Eliz. 362. the heire in such a case is said to be in by purchass And note Reader that it hath ●●●ne adiudged that although the Déed of conueyance and assurance of the womans Ioynture or estate d●therpresse her marriage portion as well as her marriage to ●e the cause and consideration of such Ioyn●ur● or ●stat● yet if the estate pr●●éds from the husband or his Ancestors she is within the said ●tatute of 11. H. 7. and s●e Villers and Beau●●●rit● case 4. Mar. 146. But ●●●u●r● if the portion money appeare to be the full price of the land if that differ not the case Sée Sir Edw. Cokes Comment vpon Littleton 365. These ●ases put a man seised in Fee leuie a fine to the vse of himselfe for life and after to the vse of his wife and of the heires males of her body by him begotten and had issue male and after he and his wife leuied a fine and suffered a common recouerie the husband and the wife died and the issue male entred by the Statute of 11. H. 7. and the entrie was ●olden lawfull and yet this ca●e is out of the letter of the Statute for she neither leuied the fine c. being sale or with any other saue her husband who made the Io●●ture Sed qui ●aeret i● littera ●aeret in cortice and therefore this case being within the 〈◊〉 of the Statute is within the remedy But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that this case was de●yed for Law by the R●●●rder o● London in his argument in the case hereunder 〈◊〉 betweene Copland and Pyat Another case in Sir 〈◊〉 Cokes Commentaries vpon Littleton which agrée with Eiston and Studs case in Plowd is A man seised of land ●ure v●oris and they two leuie a fine and the 〈◊〉 grant and render the land to the h●sband and wife in speciall taile the remainder to the right heires of the wi●● they haue issue the husband dieth the wife taketh another husband and they two leuie a ●●ne in Fée the issue entreth this is within the letter of the Statute and yet is out of the meaning because the state of the land 〈◊〉 from the wife so as it was the purchase of the husband in letter and not in meaning But where the woman in ●●nant for life by the gift or conueyance of any other ●●● alienation with Warrantie shall binde the heire at this day The case of Copland and Pya● adiudged Hillar 7. Car. in Ban●● Regis in effect was thus I. S. his sonne was to marrie to the daughter ●● I. N. And the Deed 〈◊〉 that I. N. for th● consideration of foure hundred 〈◊〉 paid by I. S. and of a marriage c and for the 〈◊〉 of the blo●● of I. N. co●enants to stand seised to the vse of the sonne ●● I. S. and his daughter whom the 〈◊〉 of I. S. should marrie ●●taile the remainder to another 〈◊〉 of I. N. th● remainder to the h●ires of I. N. 〈◊〉 dieth hauing issue and the wife alieneth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was resolued that it was not within
demand made of the rent by her husband hee shall haue Courtesie in the rent notwithstanding So it is if an Advouson in grosse descend to a woman married hauing Issue c. though she die afore auoydance the husband shall present and though the Bishop after the descent present by lapse yet the husband shall haue the second presentment for there cannot in these things possession be taken maintenant and at all times as they be in Lands And take with you here these Cases out of Dier 1. Ma. fo 95. Tenant per Cheualrie in cap. dieth his Daughter and Heyre being vnder age office is found and the King grants the wardship of body and Land to me which marrieth the ward and hath Issue by her and after shee accomplisheth the age of sixetéene yeares and the King is satisfied for the two yeares profit they tender a generall liuerie and before it be past the Wife dieth the Baron shall haue the Courtesie come semble saith the Booke And 6. Eliz. Dier 229. the like descent is to a Daughter and married hauing Issue by her husband and she dieth ten dayes after her Father no Liuery being sued that is found by office the Baron shal be Tenant by the Courtesie and shall sue liuery SECT XLIII No Courtesie of reuersion after estate for life THe seisin must be to the Wife in estate of Inheritance not mangled or cut off from the Frank Tenement and therefore by Parkins where a Woman an Heyre enters after her Fathers death and being seised in fée-simple makes a Lease of her Land to I. S. for terme of his life if she now marry haue Issue and die during the Lease the Husband shall neither be Tenant by the Courtesie of the Land when it reuerts nor of the rents in the meane while Also 8. assi p. 6. If a Daughter and Heyre enter endol● den and haue Issue by her and the condition being broken she dyeth if now the Feoffor enter the Feoffée shall not be Tenant per le Cur●esie of the Seignorie But if a feme sole haue a rent or common in or out of certaine Lands and the Tenant leasseth the Land to a stranger during the life of I. S. and the woman intermarrieth with the Lessée hath Issue and I. S. dyeth now if the wife die the Baron shall haue Courtesie in the rent or Common And if the Tenant leased his ground for 20. yeares and a woman hauing in the ground a rent charge in fée intermarrieth with the Lessée c. dieth during the terme it is a question in Parkins whether the husband shall haue Courtesie in the rent after the terme determine see Parkins cap. By the Courtesie SECT XLVII No Courtesie of a bare vse IF a Woman sole seised c. make a feoffement to the vse of her selfe her heyres and then she marrieth hath Issue and dieth before any estate in the same lands be againe by entry or otherwise executed to her her husband shall not be Tenant by the Courtesie and this aswell after the Statute of 27. H. 8. as before if the Feoffement were since the Statute SECT XLVIII What Husband may be Tenant by the Courtesie and of what estate WHere the Wise is actually seised of Lands in ●éesimple see-taile generall or as Heyre of sée-taile speciall the second Baron may bee Tenant by the Courtesie as well as the first for so is the Maxime And Parkins Fitzherbert and Brooke haue all of them the Case 21. H. 3. viz. A woman Inheritour hath Issue by her Husband and he dieth she takes another Husband hath Issue by him and that Issue dieth the woman dieth her second Husband shall be Tenant by the Courtesie Bracton agréeth also who when hee hath shewed this Ciuilitie of England concludeth Quod dicitur de primo di●i poterit de secundo siue de primo viro haeredes apparentes extiterunt siue non plenae aetatis vel minoris But hee addeth Quod iniuriosum est secundum S●ephanum de Segraue qui dicebat quod lex ill● male ●uit intellecta male vs●tata Nam quod dicitur de lege Angliae intelligi debet de primo vir● communibus haeredibus non de secundo maxime cum haeredes apparentes extiterint de primo My mind giues mee that hee said truth and that Law turning a little out of her Channell here before Iustice Segraues time could neuer since bee brought to her course SECT XLIX Of speciall Taile BEfore West 2. cap. 1. all the Estates which wée now call tailed that is curtailed or cut off were sée-simple Conditionall If Lands had béene giuen to a man and a woman in Franke Marriage or to them and to the Heyres of their two bodies which gifts make now a speciall Taile as soone as they had Issue the Condition was thought to be performed And as a woman suruiuing her first Husband in this case might alien the Land so might she by bearing a Childe to her second Husband c. this makes him Tenant by the Courtesie be inforced to proue that the Childe sent forth some voyce or cry arguing life and naturall humanity for if it bellowed bleated brayed grunted rored or howled there accrued no courtesie by getting such an vnciuill vrchin By him therefore there must be a naturall crie heard inter quatuor parietes for he saith though a Child be borne mutus surdus tamen clamorem emittere debet sive masculus sit siue foemina nam Dicunt E. vel A. quotquot nascuntur ab E●a E. or A. all crye that from Eue come Though they be borne both deafe and dumbe Non sufficit igitur tantum baptizatus scpultura y●t 28. H. 8. Dyer fol. 25. sets downe Fitzherberts opinion that a man may be Tenant by the Courtesie though the Childe neuer crie car paraduenture lissue soit nee dumbe And so saith Parkins 9. 4. 7. viz. that if the issue bee borne aliue though it die before it be heard crie or before it be baptized for that is a matter also with Bracton if there were no lachesse contumacie or contempt in the Baron he may be Tenant by the Courtesie But by negligence or by contempt he shall preiudice himselfe ascuns diont SECT LI. A Childe borne beginneth the title of Courtesie NOw this hauing a Childe is such a matter as it séemeth that maine tenant thereupon the title of Courtesie beginneth for example if a bond woman purchase Land and marrie if the Lord enter before Issue be had no Childe borne afterwards shall make the husband tenant by the Courtesie But if the Baron haue Issue by his wife before the Lords entrie he shall be tenant by the Courtesie and the auourie from that time forward shall rest vpon him solement And the possession in Law if the wife die shall not light vpon the Heyre but vpon the Baron which shall be tenant to euery praecipe C●o est cleere lei Brooke out of the Doctor and Student vide Brooke
second wife may be endowed for after the death of the first wife the remainder in generall taile vesteth maine tenant and is executed 50. Ed. 3. fo 4. Newton saith 7. He. 6. fo 11. if a man make a lease for yeares with Condition if the Lease pay an hundred pound at the end of the terme that then he shall haue fée etsi nemy que il auera que terme that in this Case by paying an hundred pound at the end of the terme the termer shall haue fée from the beginning and his wife is Dowable quere for it seemeth tunc hath relation but ad tempus solutionis If Tenant in Dower lease her estate to the Heyre for her life and the Heyre dieth his wife shall bee endowed notwithstanding the life of the first dowager 45. Ed. 3. fo 13. In action of Dower the tenant shewed that Tenant per Courtesie granted his estate to him in the reuersion rendring rent with clause of re-entry for non-payment he in the reuersion marry the demandant the tenant per le Courtesie re-entreth for the Condition he in the reuersion died his wife was barred Dower for the surrender might well be vpon Condition 14. E. 4. fo 6. SECT LXIII Where Dower is giuen or not giuen of an estate determined VVHere the Husbands estate is loyally enuicted or determined Dower for the most part faileth As thus two men make exchanging of two acres executed in fée one of them dieth his sonne takes a wife and entreth and the otherpartie being impleaded voucheth the sonne which entreth into warrantie so that the Tenant recouereth in value the acre which he deliuered in exchange the sonnes wife shall neuer be endowed of this acre for the title of recouerie in value is from time of the exchange by way of relation and so before the Marriage Likewise if two Copartners in gauell kinde make partition one of them marrieth and the other being impleaded prayeth ayde of his partner which ioyneth c. if the demandant recouer and the Tenant haue pro rata of the partners part which afterward dieth his wife shall not haue Dower of that which is recouered for the title of recouery pro rata is from the death of the common Ancestor saith Parkins As a Villeine takes a wife purchases lands in fée his Lord enters the Villeine dieth his wife shall haue Dower for the Lords title begun by his entrie and the wiues by seisen in the husband the Tenant alieneth in Mortmaine or erecteth a crosse sée thereof W. 2. c. 33. and the Lordentreth the tenants wife shall haue Dower notwithstanding So if the Lord recouer in a Cessauit the tenants wife shall be endowed yet if the tenant had made part and brought a writ of Dower it came to issue ne vnques seisie c. The Iury found the speciall matter and being asked what they thought of it they answered because there was neuer any permanent seisin in the husband that she was not Dowable Your thinking said Iustice Thorpe is contrary to your verdict for here was a possession whereof she is Dowable Et ceo fuit opinion de toutes Littleton also séemeth to be against me in Estate sur condition but it is not ipse dixit but plusiors on t dit Therefore if hee were aliue I might perhaps intreate him to bee on my side SECT LXIV How much and how a woman shall hold in Dower THe Common Law alloweth for Dower the third part of that whereof the Husband during Couerture had such seisin as is before declared to haue and hold if it be in lands by limits and bounds But this Indowment per metes bonds cannot be where the husband is Tenant in Common If one of two Copartners in gauell kinde take a wife and die before partition made the Heyre may assigne his mother a third part of his moity to hold in Common or he may first make partition and then endow her per metes bonds Generally when a woman recouers Dower the Sheriffe shall put her in possession per metes bonds and it hath beene holden that wheresoeuer the heyre assigneth Dower a third part per mi per tout to occupie in Common if the widdow accept it accordingly that this should be a good endowment The Law seemeth to be otherwise By Common right Parkins saith a woman shall haue Dower the third auoydance of euery Aduouson and the third part of euery Mannor that was her husbands for if shee take it in another forme by assignment from the Heyre she may suffer preiudice As if a man seised of thrée Mannors takes a wife and grants a rent charge issuing out of all thrée Mannors and dieth now if the wife by assignment of the heyre accept one Mannor in Dower for all the two parts of this Mannor remaine subiect to the distresse of the granter because the woman for the two parts accepted here her Dower in counter comen droit But had shee vpon recouery of Dower béene assigned this Mannor by the Viscount she should haue held all discharged Yet if a married man seised of thrée Aduousons of thrée seuerall Churches grant to I. S. that he shall present to the Church which next becomes voyde and the granter dying his wife recouers in a Writ of Dower against the heyre before auoydance and the Viscount assigneth to her the Aduouson of one Church for all c. if now the Church thus assigned become voyde ascuns diont saith Parkins the grantée shall present and not the woman for she is endowed incounter common droit and I. S. the grantée which is a stranger to the assignement cannot otherwise take aduantage of his grant But in the first Case after assignment of one Mannor by the Viscount the grantée might distraine in the other two Mannors SECT LXV Lesse or more then a third part THough by the Common Law a woman is to haue no lesse then a third part yet if a widdow will be so foolish as to accept a fourth or fift part or moity of her husbands Inheritance assigned in allowance of all his Franke Tenement it is a good assignement And by custome in some seised of three acres in fée marry and die and a stranger which hath but two of these acres entreth by abatement into the third and after hee hath married the Widdow hee infeoffes a stranger of all thrée acres by indenture resexuing vt supra and dieth the rent goeth out of all the acres but if the heyre of the first husband recouer his acre and assigne it to the woman in Dower shee is Dowable also of the rent for indéed it is entirely issuing out of the two other acres And if a man seised of thrée acres in fée make a feoffement of two reseruing rent out of those two acres vt supra the wife hauing the acre which remained in Dower may haue Dower also of the rent reserued qu●ere saith Parkins car il est incounter le conscience de diuers homes And making
seisin the Baron dieth she accepts the rent the may haue a cui in vita by the common Law for the acceptance here maketh not the Lease good because the liuery which the wife made was as seruant to her Master and onely the act of the Baron Par. 41. we haue concerning acceptances some plentifull Learning 21. H. 6. fo 24. Ascu saith there That if Lessée for yeares bee in arrerage of rent and die his Executors shall pay the arrerages if they occupie the Ferme contra if they waiue possession and so if a Lease for life be made to Baron and Feme the Baron commits waste and dies the wife shall be subiect to an action for waste done by the husband if she occupie the land contra if she waiue the possession and by Paston in the end of the case if Baron seised ●ure vxoris make a lease for life of the land and die the wife can haue no action of waste for she was not partie to the lease ex hoc sequitur that a woman vpon acceptance of rent of lease for yeares made by her husband without being her selfe a partie is not bound but shee may enter And albeit the lease were for life yet acceptance barreth not a cui in vita if she were not partie c. 26. H. 8. ●● 2. per curiam if Baron and Feme sell the Wiues land make feoffement and the Vendée by the Indenture of sale couenants to pay ten pounds annually to the Baron and Feme during their liues if the Baron die and the feme accept the ten pounds this is no bar in cui in vita no more then acceptance of rent after Marriage dissolued where the Baron a per luy made a feoffement or lease But acceptance of rent c. where they both made a feoffement or lease for life is a barre of all actions I will hunt for no farre fetcht learning of acceptances but this I finde if a man lease his land to ● 8. to hold at will by certaine rent none acceptance of the rent here after the Leassors death can barre the Heyre of entrie or make any ●ffirmance of the lease for acceptance can neither make good a lease determined by entry or a lease already void without entry by the lessors death And he that leaseth to hold at will endeth that will when he endeth his life but a lease for yeares by an Abbot or Tenant in taile is not by their death presently void but voydable and the successour or Issue by acceptance of the rent affirmes the Lease So doth the Feme affirme the Lease made for yeares by her husband of her Land by acceptance when she is become sole and sée Dyer 5. Mar. 159. by the opinion of thrée Iustices Dyer Stamford and Browne if Baron and Feme had made a Lease by Indenture rendring rent and the Baron before rent day die and the Feme before the day take another husband who accepts the rent and dies this acceptance shall bind the Wife but note and take with you this peculiar rule where acceptance binds her that she be a partie to the Lease and that by writing for if a man makes a Lease for yeares without déed of land which he holdeth in right of his wife this was méerly void towards the wife so soone as the Husband is dead and acceptance of the rent is to no purpose Plo. 431. per Bromley Againe 9. H. 6. If tenant in Fée iure vxoris make a Lease for yeares and the wife dieth the Lessée shall pay the rent vntill the Wiues heyre enter for so long there is a continuance of a Fermour by force of the Lease but none ●●owry lyeth for the Husband because he hath no reuersion And an action of trespasse vi armis may be against him but he cannot haue action of debt for the rent But to come home to the very brinke of the Statute nota saith Dyer That the common opinion amongst all Iustices at this day is If Baron and Feme make a Lease for terme of yeares before the Statute of 32. Hen. 8. by Paroll reseruing rent to them both if the wife when shee is become sole accept the rent at the Fermors hands this binds her not from anoyding the Lease if it were not by Indenture for her assent was requisite at the beginning and that ought to haue appeared by déed Dyer 1. Mar. fo 91. The same Learning is 4. Mar. fol. 146. When a Feme Couert departs from her Land the intent consideration and cause ought to be expressed in scripture to proue her consent to the whole Mannor for it is agréed for Law That if before the Statute Baron and Feme had made a Lease by paroll of the Wiues Land for terme of yeares rendring rent though after the Barons death she had accepted the rent yet she might out the Termer because her priuitie to the Lease appeares not per escript likewise if a feme couert suffer a recouery or fine of her Land it shall be intended by Law to be to her owne vse if there appeare none other intent expresly by Writing And none auerment shall be taken of intent or consideration in such Case other then the Indenture specifieth SECT XXV Obseruations vpon the very Statute I Haue shewed what strength a Demise or Lease for yeares made of the Wiues Land by Baron and Feme or by the Baron onely was of before the Statute and is of being made since the Statute without the appointed circumstance and solemnitie Now a little to the very Statute As I said before the ordinance is that Leases shall bee good c. But not directly that any terme shal be boyd though voyd of strength by this Statute they may be many wayes as appeares by the prouiso Note that the forerunning Lease Demise or occupation by Fermors must bee deriued from one that had Inheritance for if at the end of a primitiue Lease made by the Lord of whom the Tenancie is holden or by the Kings grantée or committée of wardship or by tenant in Dower or by Tenant per le Courtesie some of which may by good possibilitie haue had power to make Leases by space of twice twenty yeares a tenant in tayle makes a Lease this succéeding demise hath no vertue or ingredience of the Statute though it séeme to haue good correspondence with it And it is doubted whether a Ferme continued twenty yeares by the Donors demise be sufficient or no to make roome for a new Lease This for ought I perceiue is by a prudent interpretation of the Constitution rather vpon equitie and intent then vpon the Text tenants in fée simple or tailed which transmit their possession to their déere off-spring will not make Leases to any great disaduantage of any of their owne babes or blood and therefore their Leases may well bee ●mitated But like enough it is that Tenant per le courtesie or in Dower or in right of his owne or in
to make void the Obligation or Statute if there be cause with a seuere penalty of 300. li to bee forfeited by the Sheriffe if hee did not execute she same Writ duly according to the tenure thereof This Statute was too méeke and gentle something like him that made it H. 6. SECT XXVII 3. H. 7. c. 2. BVt 3. Hen 7. cap. 2. beginning with a better complaint against takers for lucre of maids widdowes or wiues hauing substance of lands or goods or being heires apparant which takers sometimes married them and sometime des●owred them to the breach of Gods Law and the Kings the disparagement of such women and vtter heauinesse and discomfort of their friends ordaineth that whosoeuer taketh against her will vnlawfully any maid widdow or wife shall together with the procurors abbetters and receiuers of any such women knowing her to bee so taken against her will bee felous and euery of them béene reputed and iudged as felons principall But this extendeth not to taking where a woman is claimed as a ward or bondwoman And Mr. Lambard noteth that anno 3. 4. Phil. Mar. this Statute was construed to make no felony vnlesse the woman married were either taken or deslowred SECT XXVIII 4. 5. Phi. Mar. cap. 8. THerefore to supply what hitherto was wanting against takers and also intisers rauishing by allurements and flatterers 4. 5. Phil. Mar. cap. 8. saith that for want of sufficient Law it remained still a faml●ar and common mischiefe in the Realme That maidens and women children of Noble men Gentlemen and others which were heires apparant or had lands in great substance left by their Ancestors or friends by flattery trifling gifts or faire promises of light persons and also by subtility of such as bought and sold them for reward were many times allured to contract matrimony with vnthrifty persons and thereupon oftentimes with sleight or force were taken from their parents friends or kins●olke to the high displeasure of God the disparagement of the children and perpetuall condolence of their friends Therefore it is ordained that it shall not bee lawfull to conuey any maid or woman child vnmarried or vnder the age of sixteene yéeres out of the possession and against the will of her father or of such person to whom by his will or otherwise in his life time he shall haue appointed the kéeping education and gouernance of her except such taking as shall bee without fraud by the Master or Mistris or Gardian in So●age or in Chiualry of or to such maid or woman child And if any person that is aboue the age of fourtéene yéeres shall conuey or cause to bee conueyed any such maid being within the age of sixtéene yéeres out of the possession and against the will of the father or mother or any other person which then shall haue by lawfull meanes the order keeping education or gouernance of her the offender duly attainted or conuicted other than such of whom shee shall hold by knights seruice shall suffer two yéeres imprisonment without baile or mainprise or par such fine as shall bee assesed by the Quéenes Councell in the Starchamber And if any shall take away and deflowre any such maid or woman child or shall against the will of her father or he not knowing if the father be in life or without the assent or knowledge of the mother hauing ●ustody ●nd gouernance of the child the father being dead by letters messages or otherwise contract matrimony with any such mard except it bee by the consent of the person or persons by interest of wardship intituled to haue the marriage he shall suffer being lawfully con●●ted fiue yéeres imprisonment without baile or maineprise and pay such fine as shall bee assessed in the Starrechamber c. the one moity of all which fines shall bee to the Qu●●e and her successors and the other to the grieued And the Councell in Starrechamber by Bill of complaint or information and Instices of assise by inquisition or indictment in which processe shall be awarded as inditements of trespasse at t●e Common law haue authority to heare and determine the offen ●s Moreouer if any woman child or maid●n being aboue the age of twelue yéeres and vnder sixteene doe at any time consent to such person as shall make contract of matrimony contrary to the forme of this Statute the next of kin to whom the inheritance should come after her death shall from time of such assent haue and en●oy all such lands tenements and her editaments as shee had in possession reuersion or re●●●nder at the time of assent during the l●te of such pe●son so contracting matrim●ny and after her ●●cease so contracting c. then the said lands shalldescen re●e●● remaine and ●ome to such person or persons other than t● him that shall so contract matrimony as they should haue done in case this Statute had neuer been●m●de● But th●s At exten●eth not ●o di●●●sh any libe●ty custome or authorite in London or like corporations as touching Orphancs their lands goods or chattels Sée Ratcliffs Case in Sir Edward Cokes 3. Rep. fol. 38. vpon this Statute of 4. and 5. of Phil. and Mar. In an Eiectione firme vpon speciall pleading a speciall verdi●t was thus in effect that William Wilcokes married the daughter and he●re apparant of Iohn Edols and Alice his wife and hath issue by her Iohn Elizabeth and Martha William Wilcokes afterwards by his will in wrighting appoints the order custody education and gouernment of his said three children to their said grandfather and grandmother during the grandfather and grandmothers liues and then dyes the widdow of Wilcoke● marrieth Raphe Radcliffe Iohn Edois dyes and his widdow being Tenant in ●ee simple of the lands in question holden in soccage by her will deniseth them to her grandchild Iohn Wilcokes in taile the remainder to Elizabeth and Mortha and the heircs of their two bodies equally to bee diuided the remainder in fee to her said daughter and heire apparant the mother of these thrée deuisées and dieth Iohn Wilcoke dieth without issue his sister Elizabeth married one Andrewes and he his wife and her sister Marth● enter the lands and were seised accordingly and Mar●ha abiding with Raph R●tcl●ffe and his wife being aboue fourtéene and vnder sixtéene yéeres of age with Raph R●t●l●ffe his consent and of her owne accord departs eight miles off from them where six houres after shee was married to Edward Ra●cliff● who enters and made the Plaintis●e his lease And the issue being whether Elizabeth Ratcliffe the wife of Raph Ratcliffe had the custody of Martha the wife of Edward R●tcliffe the lessor at the time of their contract and marriage all the Iudges and Co●rt of Kings Bench resolued that Eliz●beth had the gouernance of her daughter Martha at the time of her contract and marriage within the intent and meaning of the Statute It was resolued in that case that those words father mother within the
common so in that which followeth they are like jointenants If two sisters enter into their deceased fathers lands and every of them having issue a sonne dieth before partition so that one moitie descendeth to one sonne and one moitie to another which sons enter and occupy the lands in common if they bee now disfeised they shall have but one assise and not severall assises Because although they come in here by divers discents yet still they are partners and that not onely in regard of the seisin possession which their mothers had but rather in respect of the estate which descended to their mothers from the common ancestors the grandfather to whom they are but one heire so that of a disseisin before partition they shal have but one assise SECT XVI Difference of partners from both jointenants and tenants in Common BY Bryan 10. Ed. 4 fo 3. one copartner may in feoffe another copartner for though their possession bee joint yet their right and interest is severed so that if one sister die the other shall claime a moitie by discent from her and not the intire inheritance from the Common auncestors Partners in this therefore are like tenants in Common whose title and right are separated and therefore they may infeoffe one another But it is otherwise with jointenants whose right is intire and goeth with the possession by survivour Againe partners may release the one unto the other and in this they are like jointenants only for if one tenant in Common release to his fellow his moitie passeth not because that hee to whom the release is made hath in the franck tenemēt of this moitie no possession But partners whose right is from one roote have a more co 〈…〉 ect possession then tenants in common and may release one unto another To conclude this point partners differ from both jointenants and tenants in common in this that partners are and alwaies were compellable to make partition so was neyther of the other two before the Statute 31. H. 8. cap. 1. which ordaineth that jointenants tenants in common of inheritance which in England or Wales in the right of themselves or their wives shal be compellable by writ de participatione to be devised in Chancery to make partition And that after partition they and their heires shall have mutuall aid one of another for the deraigning of a warranty peramount to recover pro rata as is used betwixt partners at the common law Afterward 32. H. 8. cap. 32 it is ordeined that if any have equal estate with others or in common jointly for tearme of life or for yeares or unequal estate with such as have an adhering inheritance they shall likewise be cōpellable to make partition Provided that this shall not bee prejudiciall to any person other then the parties to it their executors or assignes SECT XVII Of the Nuper obiit BVt ere wee goe any further in partition let us sée what actions may lie betwixt partners for their inheritance before they have divided it And first of the Nuper obiit This is a writ and commandement of the King to the sheriffe to summon a coheir to be before the Kings iustices at a day certaine to shew why she or he for it lieth betwixt parcenersin Gavell kind also deforceth the plaintiffe coheire from her reasonable part belonging to her of the inheritance of I. S. their grandfather father uncle brother grandmother aunt sister or cousin as the case requireth whose heires they be qui Nuper obiit ut dicitur This writ lieth for lands holden in fée simple onely betwixt coheires where one or more of them deforceth or holdeth out his or their fellow coheire or coheire c. It must be brought in the name of all those which be deforced though in verity there be but one that sueth And this 1. may haue a writ of summoneas ad sequendū against her negligent copartners who if they appeare not the sole plaintiffe shall be receiued to sue for her portion against the deforcer If after the ancestors death a kinsman enter claiming by descent the Nuper obiit lieth not against him but after entry and ouster an assise of novell disseisin or a writ of right for though coheires may haue Amordancester against a stranger yet can they not haue it against one of their owne parenteale priuy in blood and claiming by the same descent and where a writ of right sometimes is betwéene sisters as where one is infeoffed by déed and another claimeth by discent battaile lieth not nor the grand assise but an inquest in licu thereof Thus far V. N. B. The New Na. Bre. not disagréeing saith further That if one sister deforce another of the land whereof her ancestor died seised in estate of fée taile the remedy must bee by forme done and not by Nuper obiit a Nuper obiit may bée brought of the seisin of the aile besaile or the tresaile and if it be brought of the seisin of the grandfather Darreigne seisin in the father is no good plea without shewing that hée died seised This writ may be brought by the aunt against her sister and niece or by the aunt and niece against another sister niece or by one sister against another that is but of the halfe blood But if the father giue part of his land in francke mariage to one daughter and dye seized c. the donée in francke mariage shall not haue a Nuper obiit against her sister for her part in residue of her fathers fée simple lād unles she put her land in hotch pot which was given in francke mariage A nuper obiit must be brought by a coheire deforced against all the other coparceners though some of them haue nothing to doe in the demand A villein and his wife shal not haue a Nuper obiit against the coparceners of his wife for hee is not infranchised by marriage with one of those seignioresses to whom hee was bound If a coparcener be deforced by a coparcener and by astranger the deforced may haue a Nuper obiit against her coparcener and iointenancie abateth not the writ no more shall non-tenure of parcell of the thing demanded by rule of the register If two coparceners enter after the ancestors death and deforcing a third parcener doe afterward make partition and then one of them alieneth her portion in fée the deforced partner may by a Nuper obiit against her two coheires notwithstanding the alination recouer a third part of that which is not aliened and a third part of that which is aliened by a mortdancester or writ of Aile as the case lieth and in her owne name and in the name of her two coparceners against the alien●● If one coparcener infeoffe a stranger in fee and take backe an estate in fee or for life it seemeth a Nuper obiit is maintenable still against her so long as she disclaime not in the blood c. But 21. Ed. 3. and
45. Edw. 3. is contra But severall tenancy or non-tenure is no plea in a Nuper obiit for the priuity of blood But a sister may claime by purchase and disclaime in the blood and this is a good plea. If one coparcener die leauing issue a sonne which sonne infeoffeth a woman in all the land c. then marrieth her now cannot the other percener haue a Nuper obiit against the baron feme But she may haue a mordancestor in her owne name and in the name of the seisure which the father had the day of his death for that amounteth to a dying seised see Novel nat br 197. c. SECT XVII Of the writ of right de rationabili parte THere is also another Writ called a writ de recto de rationabili parte that neuer lieth but betwixt priuies in bléed as betwixt brothers in gavell kinde or betwixt sisters nephewes nieces c. It is also for lands in fée simple as where the ancestor leaseth land for tearme of life and dieth having two daughters and after the death of tenant for life one of the daughters entreth into the whole inheritance and deforceth her sister the deforced may haue this Writ it is maintenable by two or thrée sisters against the fourth or by an aunt or niece against a sister that deforceth and this writ lieth as wel where the ancestor dyed seised as where he died not seised It is in nature a writ of droit patent must be directed to the Lord of whom the land is holden from before whō it is remoueable by a Tolt as the Haught writ is where the ancestor dieth seised and one coheire deforceth another whether it be in gauell kinde or amongst partners at the common law the deforced hath election of this writ or of the nuper obiit But when he died not seised and a coparcener afterward deforceth the Nuper obiit lieth not The forme of this writ is Precipimu● to the Lord ut sine dilatione plenum rectum teneas A. de decem acris cum pertinentii● quas clamat esse rationabilem partē de libero tenemento quod fuit I. patris vel c. tenere per liberum servititum tertiae partis c. for it must be séene what rent and seruice the whole land yéeldeth to the Lord according there to shall the plaintiffe be rated in his or her writ If after the death of their ancestor two coparceners enter and the one doe then deforce the other of something appendant or appertenent to that which is holden in coparcenery she may haue a writ de rationabili par●e of this appendant or appertenent which shall say quod clamat tenere ad liberum tenementum If a man dying seised of lands intailed haue two daughters whereof the one entereth and deforceth the other the remedy is by formedon and neither by Nuper obiit or Rationabili parte If a sister aunt niece or cousin claime from her ancestor by feofment in fée one which should haue bin coparcener had the feofment not bin deforceth her she may haue a writ of Droit patent and joine the mise by battaile or graund assise come semble saith Fitzherbert because shée claimeth not as heire But where there is no impediment intaile feoffement or such thing all the partners deforced bring a rationabili parte against all the copartners terre-tenants for so it must bée and the heire of an heire may sue for part of the seisin of the cōmon ancestor there battail or grand assise voucher or view lie not neither is nōtenure any plea for the writ lieth only betwéen privies in blood finally the demand in this writ must bée of a portion certaine as of x. acres if xx discend to two sisters and the demandant if she recouer shall haue iudgement of so many to hold in seueralty SECT XVIII Of Partition NOw of Partition it may be made in diuers maners as first for example by agréement amongst two copartners or more which accord to diuide the inheritance into certaine parts of equall valew to bee holden in severalty and alwaies the part which the elder hath is called Ini ia pars though in this kinde of partition there bee no prerogatiue of primer election giuen to the eldest Another manner of partition is where they cause certaine friends to make the parts or diuision here the eldest shall first chuse then the next eldest and so succéedingly If by their whole agréement the eldest make the diuision it is said saith M. Littleton that she shall last make election which is as much to say say I as she shall haue none election at all Littleton hath another maner of alotment wherein after partition made of the lands euery part being written in a seroule and lapped vp in a bale of wax is put into a bonnet which must be holden by some indifferent body and then as wee use to choose Valintines euery partner pulleth out a part the first borne first the rest after her in degrée of ancientry and euery one shal hold her to her chance Also partition may be made in Chancery as when one copartner of full age and another remaineth in ward to the King c. in such case if she which resteth in ward at full age haue not her full part she may sue a writ of partition or Scire facias vpon the record returnable in Chancery to shew why a new partition shall not be made and partition may be of a reversion or of an aduowson Of a reuersion thus that A. shall haue reuersion of such such lands B. the reuersion of such other lāds of an aduowson that A. shall haue euery 2. 3. or 4. auoidance c. this is good without deed where partition is made of a mannor without mention of the aduowson it remaineth in common sée that case of aduowson and partition of aduowson 2. Hen. 7. 5. a. Partition by agréement of parceners is good in law aswell by paroll as by writing and if vnto two copartners there doe descend two houses whereof the one is worth xx s. and the other x. s. annually the best house may bee allotted to one copartner and she and her heires to pay to the other and her heires for owelty or equalities sake v. s. rent issuing out of her house and all this is good without writing so that the partner that shall haue this rent and her heires may distraine for the same when it shal be arere of common right in whose hands soeuer the house charged shall come and this shall be a rent charge of Common right had and receiued for equality of partition Fitzherb fol. 252. Plow 134. Partition of lands that one partner and her heires shall haue and hold them from Easter to the gule of August alone and by her selfe and the other and her heyres from August till Easter in the like manner was awarded a good partition in the time of Ed. 2.
matter but the other conclusion puts it to the Law and Courts consideration Yee sée now of what possession of Law a woman is dowable per Brian 4. H. 7. ●o 17. if the Kings ward die vnder age and the ne●t heyre being married die before ●●u●n●runt sued his wife shall not haue Dower But by D●uers and Hussey if the Kings Tenants Heyre haue a wife and after office found the Heyre doth not enter but dieth the wife shall be endowed of the possession in Law before office for the Statute of prerogatiue cap. 13 is intended onely where the Heyre taketh a wife after office and intrudeth SECT LIX There must be in the Husband an Inheritance not cut from the Franke Tenant A Woman shalll haue no Dower in Lands whereof the Frankement and Inheritance was neuer conioyned in her husband during Couerture therefore where the Husband had but a reuersion after estate for life the wife is not dowable vnder this rule commeth one other dos de dote peti non debet And if a man seised c. take a wife and alien with warrantie and then both the feoffor and feoffée die if the wife of the feoffée bring a Writt of Dower against the heyre of the feoffor which voucheth to warrant the heyre of the feoffor and hanging the voucher the wife of the feoffée demands Dower against the heyre of the feoffée if shée bring her Writt not for a third of two pa●ts but for a third of all that whereof her husband dyes seised she shall not ha●e iudgement fill the first plea be determined Littleton If there be father and sonne both married and the Father seised of one acre c. dieth and the sonne entreth and dieth if now the sonnes sonne enter and endow his Grandmother which dieth his mother is not Dowable of that which the Grandmother held in Dower for of that his Father had no more in méere right but a reuersion vpon or after a Franke tenement and the Grandmother endowed was in of her Husbands possession yet if the father had in his life time i●feoffed the Sonne c. the sonnes wife might well haue Dower after the Grandmothers death of that very Land which the Grandmother held And if the sonnes sonne voluntarily or compulsarily ●● Writ of Dower had endowed his mother against whom the Grandmother had then receiued her Dower and died after execution the mother might well haue entred into the land which the ailesse recouered against her Parkins 63. The Franke tenement and Inheritance may be both in a sort in the Husband and yet not sufficiently knit and vnited together to giue Dower for example the Lands bee giuen to two and to the heyres of the body of one of them if hee which hath the inheritance die first his Wife is not dowable no not after the death of the suruiuor for the state taile was not executed in her husband to all intents though the Issue in a Formedone against an abater might alleage seisin and esplees as we call them in his father Likewise if by fine sur graunt render estate be made to a husband for terme of life the remainder to I. S. his sonne in taile the reuersion to the right heyr●s of the husband and the fine is executed if now the Baron die liuing I. S. or any of his Issue the wife of the Cognusée is not dowable But if a Lease be made for yeares the remainder to I. S for life the remainder to his right heyres c. the wife of I. S. shall haue Dower of this estate though erecution of Dower cannot be ●asting the terme And if a Lease be to the Husband for life with a remainder to a stranger for ●eares the remainder to the Husband in ●ée the inheritance and Franke Tenement are sufficiently connexed to giue the wife Dower b●t execution shall cease during the terme for when an estate for yeares is more ancient or as ancient as the Inheritance which the Husband had during Couerture there the execution of Dower to the Wife must néeds tarrie the termes expiration And so it is if a man grant me a rent in fée by Indenture with Condition that the rent shall cease during the non-age of mine heyres my Wife shall not bee endowed during mine heyres minoritie What if a man that is seised in Fée-simple make a lease for life rendring rent c. and then taking a Wife he dieth the heyre shall haue this rent incident to the reuersion and it shall be a●ets to him in a Formedone in Descender but the wife gets here no Dower a●d saith Parkins a woman shall not be endowed of a rent reserued by her Husband to himselfe and his Heyres vpon a Lease for yeares 1. Ed. 6. titulo Dower in Brooke accordeth If the Law be so Dower hath lesse fauour in this case then the estate per Cour●●si● d'Angleterre But Cléere if a man take a wife first lease his Lands for yeares or for life and die now the Wife may recouer Dower of the Land it selfe and by Breton if the woman recouer the third part of Lands leased for yeares de office de iustice il serra a gard que el terti● remnant les deux parties que demorent de terre iesques a●●nt que il e●t receiue al value de le tierr● partie que il auera perdu● c. But if she recouer all the Land leased from the termer he shall haue recouerie per pl●● de garranti either of such other Lands as the Lessor had or if he had no other of the Lands seised when the widdow is dead by s●ir● facias out of the Court where the Iudgement was inrolled Note That though the Law be as is abouesaid where Lands are giuen to two and to the Heyres of one of them yet if the Husband purchase to himselfe and his wife and to the heyres of the Husband the wife may relinquish the purchase and disagree by bringing her Writ of Dower Like Law séemeth to be where the purchase is to the Baron and feme during the life of the Baron the remainder to his right heyres SECT LX. Of what things Dower is granted LIttletons ground is of Lands or tenements But a woman is Dowable also of all manner of rents which are rents of Inheritance Also of Offices as for example of a Bayly-wicke in fée a woman may haue the third part of the profit in Dower and be contributary to the charge Also at this day where the Baron hath but an vse in fée-simple or fée-taile generall vnlesse it be in case where the Husband may and doth disagrée the wife shall haue Dower and if a bargaine and sale be made of Lands to the Husband which dieth before inrolement the wife notwithstanding shall haue Dower and by the inrolement einsement it shall be indefeisable against the Vendor and the Heyre of the Vendée Also a woman is Dowable of Villaines regardant to a Mannor and if a villanie in gros a
the acres to be of equall value it must needs bee against law also for one acre of three equally vallued or of euery acre one third part is a iust Dower But if the acre vnsold were inferior in value there is both conscience and law for the woman to claime Dower of the two acres or of the rent for a woman must be endowed of the best possession and not according to the number of acres but according to the value of the Inheritance whilst it was the Husbands Therefore if I make a feoffement of my lands and dye and the feoffée builds a house vpon it or otherwise improoues it my wife shall be endowed no otherwise then according to the value of my possession yet if a disseisor or a feoffée sur condition doe edifie the disseisie or feoffor re-entring shall haue the building If being married I make a feoffement and the feoffee ruinateth a house which was vpon the Lands before the feoffement and that was worth foure or fiue pound annually my wife shall be endowed according to the value that the land was of at time of my death because a woman hath no right to possession of Dower before the death of her husband But Parkins dares not let this Case goe without a quaere SECT LXIX Of Dower at the Church doore THe old kind of endowment at the Church Doore commeth now a dayes seldome in vse But for all that I would haue women better learned then to be ignorant of it it is when a man seised in fee-simple being of full age comming to the Church doore to be married doth there affirme affiance and endowe his spouse of all his lands or of part as of halfe or a lesse quantity openly and with certainty the woman thus endowed may enter into her Dower after the husbands death without assignement and this Dower may be at the Church doore in one County of Lands in another County and without déed Parkins sect 217. Vide Plowd in Sharington ca. fo 304. b. it is good without liuery of seisin Et per Shelly 28. H. 8 Dyer fo it may be done within view and the puisne sonne of Land in borow English may not make such a Dower Also a sonne and heyre apparant when he is espoused by consent of his father may endow his wife at the Church doore in part of such lands and tenements as are the Fathers in fee-simple and the sonnes wife after his death the father liuing may enter presently without further assignement into the parcels thus certainly appointed But if shee enter after her husbands death and agrée to any of these endowments ad ostium ecclesiae she is concluded from claiming any other Dower Thus farre Littleton By Bracton none can endowe his wife in this manner vnlesse hee bee Liber homo for in his time if I bee not much deceiued the greatest number of bond-men held in manurance Lands of their Lords which they occupied to the Lords vse and profit in pure villeinage These hauing none other lands could not endow c. Also by Bracton Quis posset dotem constituere sciendum quod tam minor quam maior masculus Cui vxori tam Church doore to be married deliuer the Deed to her shewing her the lands saying his will is she haue them according to the déede if the Baron neuer claime otherwise then in right of his wife that is a good feoftement But he may endow her of his owne lands ad ostium Ecclesiae without déede though the Land be in a forraigne Countie marry when the Dower is of the fathers Land ex assensu there must bee a deed for assent lieth not in auerment 40. Ed. 3. 43. yet this is contrary to Bracton and in old Bookes the consent hath beene tried by proofes Dowment may be good ex consensu matris but as they say now not ex consensu fratris sororis vel consanguinei The assent ought to be at the Church or Church doore yet 2. H. 3. the sonne married against the will of his parents and eight weekes after indowed his wife of his fathers lands ex assensu patris per curiam it was holden good Fitzherbert 199. Of the head of a Baronie or the Capitall Messuage of a Knights fée Dowmente ad ostium c. is not good but it may be of a moity of all such Lands as the Baron shall hereafter purchace in fee or of all such Lands as the Barons mother holdeth in Dower But if the Father lease his Lands for life and the Sonne and Heyre apparant endow his wife ex assensu c. of the reuersion now if the Lessée die the Lessor enter and the sonne die the wife shall not haue Dower because she was not Dowable of the reuersion at the Common Law though it had beene in her husband during couerture so is it if the Father were seised for life or iointly with another in fee But if the father had beene Tenant in taile the endowment by consent had beene good during his life though no conclusion after his death to his Issue or his wife claiming Dower euen as by Election if tenant in taile being himselfe in actuall seisin endow his wife ad ostium Ecclesiae die if his wife enter the Issue may out her and so may hee in the reuersion if issue faile If the Father at time of endowment ex assensu bee seised none otherwise then in his wiues right Yet Parkins argueth hee shall bee bound during his life quaere I haue held young Maides now indeed somewhat long in the old endowments and I would proceed to instruct them in the dower of the new learning iointures I meane for my desire is that they should be able to haue when they are Widdowes a coach or at the least an ambler and some money in their purses But they are of the minde for themselues I perceiue that Themistocles was in for his daughter He desired a man rather without money then money without a man here is a wise adoe yee say I tell you of Dower of the Widdowes estate and God knowes whether ye shall euer haue the grace to be widdowes or no yee would know what belongeth to wiues on then in a good way I haue brought you to the Church doore if ye be not shortly well married I pray God I may FINIS with her Husbands protection and supereminency Now the Law that giueth Dower to her that is able to deserue it and enableth at so greene yeares knoweth well enough that women are at their Husbands commandement If Titus being dead haue left his wife her maidenhead immunis a culpa a poena immunis erit This I might dilate as in probabilitie or likelinesse of reason at Common Law but it seemeth the matter resteth otherwise determinable For in action of Dower the Tenant shall not plead nunquam carnaliter cognouit nor the demandant be driuen to auerre a knowledge c. But the case may perchance bee drawne to
of the Obligée And if I bee bound to C. that A. shall marry B. before Easter If I marry B. and our Espousals continue till Easter my bond is forfeited Similiter If C. marry B. or if A. and B. cannot marrie because one of them dieth or wareth mad before the day I finde none other cause in our Yéere-bookes alleaged why things may not passe by gift betwéene Baron and feme saue only vnitie of person But vndoubtedly the restraint springeth from a politique consideration rather to bréed cherish and maintaine the vnity then in iudging of an impossibility because of the vnitie But the Ciuill Law vir non potest dare vxori ne foeminae amorem coniugalcm in quaestu habeant prohibenter inter coniuges donationes quia silicerct coniugibus inuicem donare matrimonia fierint venalia saepe distraherentur c. And because it would amount to arguing inter coniuges there is a restraint by that law Ne priuignus dare queat nouercae vel nouerca priuigno What if the Matrimonie be inualidum legibus non consistens yet non valet inter coniuges putatiuos facta donatio ne melioris sint conditionis quam illi qui recte faciont But a gift to a plaine Concubine is good enough vnlesse the giuer be a Soldier By old Iohn Bracton lib. 2. ca 5. Non valent donationes inter virum vxorem non enim poterit vir dare vxori nec e conuerso constante Matrimonio quia huiusmodi donationes prohibitae sunt inter tales personas nec infraudem facere possint constitutioni veluti si Maritus donet extraneae personae ea mente vt redonet in vita viri vel post mortem hee maketh his reason in the 14. Chapter Si tales donationes fieri possint ob amorem inter virum foeminam posset alter eorum egestare inopia premi But at this day though lands cannot passe betwixt Baron and Feme right out by plaine liuery or bargaine yet in the obliquitie of fines recoueries and vses there is an Expedite transporting of Inheritance betwixt them to the vndoing perhaps of the partie whose Lands are transferred and auferred with not so much as coniugall loue alwayes in recompence SECT IIII. In what sort things may passe betwixt Baron and Feme LAnds cannot passe from the Baron by feoffement to put the state from him immediately to the wife though he were infeoffed to that intent and vpon such a condition But one man may infeoffe another vpon condition to infeoffe the wife of the Feoffor whatsoeuer Bracton say and the condition good Also a feoffement fine or recouery may be made knowledged or suffered to the vse of her and her heyres which is wife to the Feoffor Conusor or sufferer c. And as I may make another man the instrument to conuey lands to my wife so may I be the meanes to conuey Lands to my wife from another man for by Letters of Atturney-ship I may deliuer seisen of Lands to my Wife for another and the feoffement shall be good by Parkins 41. And a man may deuise in his last Will and Testament either by the custome or by the Statute 32. H. 8. Lands to his Wife in fée fée-taile for life or for yeares because this taketh none effect till the Couerture be dissolued It is said in Scolasticus case If I deuise that he shall haue greene acre after the death of my wife my wife shall haue estate for life by the intent c. And although a wife by the generall rule hath no will but her Husbands and all Testaments of a feme-couert to deuise any Mannors Lands Tenements and Hereditaments are ineffectuall by expresse declaration of 34. Henrici 8. capite 5. soeuer be the courtesie among Dames of honor a womans name of dignitie changeth with the degree of her husband and of such women as haue not their honor by birth but acquire that by Marriage the rule of Law taketh order Si mulier nobilis nupserit ignoblem desinet esse nobilis when she taketh a second husband But what though the scrupulositie of the Common pleas were obserued throughout the Realme that Esquires Ladies should be no Ladies in Court and Country wherevnto I will neuer giue voyce what inequality were in this depressing shall not likewise a Knights widdow marrying with a Baron or Earle as be much exalted verament yet you see the dignitie hangeth meerely on the male side carrying the scepter of Wedlocke SECT VI. Touching seruitude NOw touching the state of fréedome or bondage Littleton saith that if a free-man marry a bond-woman the Lord cannot seise her but there is remedie by action for taking her sans gree or licence Fitzherbert in his liber●are probanda agreeth 78. G. that she should be fréed perpetually But the Law seemeth to be otherwise And so you may find the opinion of Doct. Stud. fo 139 b. And that indeed it is no more but a Temporarie priuiledge and exemption from seisure of her Lord during time of couerture for if the Seigniour of a Mannor marrie his Niefe regardant the best authority that I can finde is that this Niefe is no more but shrined in the honour of her Lord if he die she shall haue no Dower but remaine still in her niefitie regardant to the Mannor And to say truth I perceiue not how a womans being married can in any sort be an infranchisement no not for a time it is no more but a sconsing or hiding of the seruitude Bracton saith elegantly manumission is a detection or laying open of the freedome which is a natura A womans liberty is free licence to doe what she list vnlesse shee be letted by force or by Law it is not restored to Niefe when she marrieth Marriage rather pulleth it from her which before was free When a Seignieur therefore marrieth with his bond-woman she must not turne her bumme to him and say heretofore my Lord I lay in your bed and now I lye in mine owne as the French Concubine said being married newly to her French Lord but let her bee burome and mindfull of her subiection for if this louing Seignior of hers die she may right well be an apparant Niefe againe to her owne sonne for ought that I know why not as well as causes may happen that the father to sonne or one sonne to another may be a villeine the case did happen 3. Ed. 3. that the villaine married his Lords mother and so the father in Law and the brother de demisank were villeines If a free woman marry a villeine her naturall freedome is not otherwise infringed then by subiection to her husband If the villeine purchase Lands and die before seisure made by the Lord the wife shall haue Dower But if a frée-woman seised in fee or fee-tails take a husband which is a villeine and die the Lord may enter vpon the husbands possession per le Courtesie or vpon the Issue being Tenants
comfort of your Husband yet a farre greater comfort the effect of Balaams desires Let me die the death of the righteons and let my end be like his SECT XV. The Husbands power in Lands which the Wife holdeth in Dower or otherwise for life THe Husbands Soueraigntie ouer his wife her goods and chattels personall or reall is no lesse then hath béen declared The dominion likewise ouer all manner of Franke Tenements his owne or his Wiues is supereminent in him during Couerture but so that he standeth well bridled from doing any thing a per luy whereby either the Dower which his wife had by a former marriage or expecteth by the present or any other estate for life or in fée can be taken from her when he● is gone If a Widdow tenant in Dower marry and her new husband surrendreth c. this is good during Couerture but if the Feme suruiue or if there be a Diuorce causa praecontractus the Feme may enter and defeate the surrender though he to whom it was made be dead and his Heyre in by descent yea and the Law differeth not heere though the Wife had ioyned with the Husband in the surrender But if Baron and Feme will surrender Lands which the wife holdeth for life by fine this shall bind the wife for the wife which is giuer shall be examined c. for no particular Tenant can surrender by fine without being named in the writt wherevpon the fine is leuied Par. 117. If a lease be made to Baron and Feme for life and the Baron make ali●nation in fee the Lessour may enter for a forfeiture and maintaine an assise if he be ousted but the Wife sur●i●ing may haue a cui in vira post mortem is by a husband disseised release all his right to the husband and afterward notwithstanding the release brings a writt of entry in nature of an Assise and recouereth against him by default the wife of the releassée shall bee indowed But if the Heyre of a disseisor being in by descent the disseisée re-enter and take a wife now a recouery against the Baron by default or reddition in a writt of entry in nature of Assise taketh away Dower from the wife for the recoueror had right according to the nature of his action and the possession which the Baron had during Couerture is destroyed But it falleth out otherwise where a man is married and then there is a disseisin descent entry and recouery vt supra If a Precipe be brought against the Baron which pleadeth misnosmer or iointenancy and it is found against him whereby the demandant recouereth this ousteth not Dower vnlesse the Demandant had right In a writt of entry in le post against the Baron hee voucheth himselfe to saue the state taile and sheweth how his father gaue him the land in taile and that the fée simple is descended vnto him and vpon a trauerse of the gift in taile it is found for the demandant which recouereth and the Baron dieth Now if so be that the Baron might well haue pleaded a release of all actions or all right of the demandant the Wife may falsifie this recouery in her writt of Dower Tenant in taile hauing Issue dieth a stranger abateth dieth his heyre entreth and takes a wife the Issue of tenant in taile arraignes an assise of Mortdancestor against the Baron which trauerseth the points of the writt and they are found against him so that the demandant recouereth and the Baron dieth It hath béene holden that the wife shall not recouer Dower heere vntill the heyre haue reuersed the verdict by attaint But it seemes saith Parkins he may falsifie the recouery in a writt of Dower maine tenant for the husband might haue pleaded to the action of the demandants writt and if the Feme which by no meanes might haue attaint must tarry till the Heyre haue defeated the verdict perhaps he will neuer sue attaint or he will release so the wife which once was intituled to dower by her husbands possession neuer defected but by his owne lachesse should lose her Dower maugre sat est which seemeth vnreasonable Yet quaere saith he for the iudgement is upon a verdict comprehending matter repugnant and contrary to that which should hee pleaded against the writt But if the demandants entry had béene congeable then out of doubt the wife had had no power of falsifying for the entry had wrought a remitter The Heyre of a Disseisor entreth taking a wife and the Disseisée in a writ of entry ad terminum qui preterit recouereth against the Baron by default the wife may falsifie this recouery in a writ of Dower But it is seldome that the demandant in Dower shall falsifie a recouery against the husband had by his lachesse in not pleading a plea which went méerely in abatement of the writt And therefore to say that the Baron might haue pleaded misnosmer or ioynt-tenancie will not serue to falsifie a recouery But if she can proue that the demandant had no right nor cause of action but iointly with a stranger which stranger by his deed shewed forth to the Court had released before commencement of suit all his right to her husband being in possession this will serue to falsifie the recouery for a moity Thus hath Parkins in his treatie of Dower at large discouered that a title neuer tryed against the Baron in his life time may be tryed by his wife when he is in his grane And so further 36. H. 6. titulo fauxifier de recouerie in Fitzherbert 15. That a woman may falsifie a recouery had against her husband by action tried but it must be in another point and not in the very same which was tried by the recouery SECT XVII Losse of Dower by the Husbands attainder HEe that hath a notable grudge against his wife and would be sure to delude her hope of Dower hath adirect way though it be somewhat dangerous and I will not be of his Counsell Hee needs doe no more but imagine compasse and conspire some detestable renowned treason of the old stampe and if he be once attainted thereof according to his desire c. But if he doe but pingle as suffer himselfe to bee outlawed in action of trespasse this was neuer any forfeiture of Franke Tenement The Law was in the late dayes of Littleton and Parkins that euery attainder of murther or felonie done by the Baron was an ouster of dower to the wife The first Solons of the English Law be like thought that tender regard of a wiues estate should restraine a husband from all inormious transgression against the sacred Crowne and dignitie Royall would God it might but the true reason why the law was so penall for such offences of the husband toward the wife in whom perhaps was no fault that thereby shee should haue no Dower and towards the children that they should haue no descent of inheritance but the hereditary blood should be corrupt was vpon
these reasons grounded vpon the Law of nature and giuen by Iustice Stamford in his booke fo 194. saith he to this effect men will now eschew those Capitall crimes when they shall sée those persons who in nature and affection are néerest and dearest vnto them and most to bee beloued shall be punished with themselues so that if themselues will not refraine such crimes for themselues yet they should the rather refraine for the loue of their wife children vpon whom they bring so perpetuall losse and punishment and staine of so infamous a note as that their stocke blood and Lineage shall be corrupted and attainted their children disinherited and the wiues of their bosomes because the wiues of such impious and foolish Husbands by their defaults depriued of all their meanes and liuelihood And Breton fo 258. makes another reason why a wife of a man attainted c. shall lose her Dower est pur ceo que est a supposer que el scauoit del felony son mary and by him a woman lost no Dower in case the felony were committed before Couerture King Edward the sixt in the first yeare of his Reigne abrogating some Statutes concerning treasons or felonie for their austerity and making some new decrees concerning treason preserued Dower against all perpetrations of an euill husband But 5. 6. eiusdem regis ca. 11. by the last prouiso It was againe enacted that no Wife of any person attainted of treason should bee receiued to demand or haue Dower c. Yet for felonie 1. Ed. 6. is still in force And treasons by Act 5. Eliz. ca. 1. for assurance of her Maiesties royall power or by the Act eodem anno cap. 11. against clipping washing rounding or filing of Coynes or by the Act 18. Eliz. ca. 1. against diminishing or impayring the Quéenes Coyne or other coyne currant here doe none of them make any corruption of blood or forfeiture of Dower Note if after attainder the Baron purchase his pardon this is so farre forth a new birth vnto him that his Wife shall haue Dower of the Lands which come to him after pardon if his Issue by her may per possibilitie inherite Par. 75. And remember this Case 3. 4. Phi. Marie Dyer 140. b. Marie the wife of Sir Iohn Gate attainted of treason brought a Writt of Dower against Wiseman the attainder of Sir Iohn was certainly pleaded in barre she replyed that long time before the attainder and before the treason committed after the Espousals the said Sir Iohn Gate was seised in fee of the Land whererof she demands Dower and thereof enfeoffed A. B. whose estate the tenant hath vpon a demurrer without argument at barre or bench the Councell of the parties being heard in Iustice Brookes Chamber the demandant was barred of Dower by opinion of all the Iustices because the Statute is The Wife of a man attainted of any manner of treason whatsoeuer shall in no wise bee receiued to aske challenge demand or haue dower of any her Husbands Lands during the force of that attainder And by Stamford 195. this extendeth to petty treason But nota saith Dyer the Lands here sold and gone before treason committed were neuer subiect to forfeiture or escheate vt in causa Vauisor M. Littleton in the Chapter of Dower And therefore Antho Browne Serieant was angrie at the heart for this Iudgement See Littleton fo 11. per Vauisor If a man commit felonie aliene his land and then be attainted the Wife shall haue action of Dower against the Feoffée but not against the King or Lord if it be escheated SECT XVIII The Husbands power in his wiues inheritance and of discontinuance A Womans Inheritance is Lands of Inheritance which she hath by descent or purchase and her Marriage such as was giuen her in Franke Marriage by learned M. Littleton But take heere all fée-simple or fée-taile which she hath sole by her selfe or ioyntly with some other to be her Inheritance Then know that at Common Law a man seised in the right of his Wife of greene acre may make a feoffement of it to a stranger and this is such an interruption called a discontinuance of the wiues estate that not onely the Baron is bound whilest he liueth but the Wife also when he is dead is by common Law forbidden entry into her owne land and put to her action of cui in vita but if a man seised in the right of his wife be disseised and release to the disseisor though it bee with warrantie this is no Discontinuance If a man seised in fée in the right of his Wife haue Issue by her a sonne and die and then a second Husband makes a Lease of the Land for terme of his life and the Wife dyeth if now the Lessée surrender to the second Baron it is a question whether the sonne can enter during the life of lease for life But cleere saith Littleton when he is dead the son may enter for the discontinuance which was but forthe life was determined If Tenant in the right of his Wife make a Lease for his owne life the reuersion in fée is in the Baron If hee die in the life time of his Wife and of the Lessee and his heyre grant the reuersion with atturnament now though the grantee enter after the death of the Lessee yet the wife may re-enter for as an estate taile cannot be discontinued but by one which is seised by force of the intaile so the estate of a Wife is not discontinuable but by him which is seised in the wiues right SECT XIX Of a Remitter YOu must vnderstand somewhat also of a Remitter And because women learne faster by example then by precept I will not stay to define a Remitter Baron and Feme seised together in speciall taile haue Issue a daughter the wife dyeth the Baron catcheth another wife hath Issue by her another daughter discontinueth the taile disseiseth the discontinuee and dieth now is the Land descended to the two daughters the eldest daughter is remitted that is remaunded and setled in the ancient estate for a moitie and driuen to a Formedone against her Sister for the other moity for here the Sisters are by seuerall titles tenants in common not parceners If Tenant in taile infeoffe a Feme sole and die and then his sonne being vnder age intermarrieth with the Feme Feoffée this is a remitter to the Sonne and his wife which before had fée-simple hath now nothing at all in the land But if the sonne had beene of full age at the time of espousals hee had not regained the ancient estate but stood seised onely in droit sa feme If a Woman seised c. take a husband which alieneth in fee and then takes backe an estate to him and his wife for life this reprisall though it were by Indenture or by fine is meerely the act of the Husband and the woman sans folly is adiudged in her Remitter the reuersion of the
pere he shall be fore-closed for the value of so much as is descended If after the Fathers death any heritage descend from the Father the Tenant shall recouer against him of the mothers seisin by a writt of indgement out of the rolles c. which the Iustices before whom the plea was pleaded shall grant to re-sommon the warrantie as hath béene accustomed in other cases where the voucher pleads ●iens a luy descen●r● from him vpon whose deed he is vouched c. And in like sort the Issue of the sonne shall recouer by Writ of Cousinage aile or besaile In like manner the Wiues heyre shall not be barred after the death of his father and mother to demand by Writt of entry his mothers heritage which his father in her life time aliened dont nul fine est le uie in court le roy SECT XVII Mr. Littletons glosse vpon the Statute of Glocester BEfore the Statute saith M. Littleton if Tenant by the Courtesie did alien c. in fee with warrantie onely this after his discease should barre the Heyre for this was a collaterall warrantie before the Statute Since the Statute it is cleere that whether tenant by the Courtesie or tenant in the right of his wife doe alien the wiues heritace or marriage by his deede in pais which warrantie leauing none assets it is no barre to the heyre But what if the Baron alien by fine leuied in the Kings court with warrantie shall this barre the heyre without any thing descended in value Newton Chiefe Iustice of the Common place thought it should by implication of words for hee tooke dont nul fine c. to be a generall exception and therefore this alienation by fine with warrant to remaine a collater all warrantie as it was at Common Law But Littleton giueth his voyce with them of contrary opinion which thought it an obscure exposition to permit irreuocable alienation by Tenant in droit sa feme onely by his warranting concord without assetts when the Statute hath in the beginning taken it expresly from tenant by the Courtesie alienating by Feoffement Nul fine therefore is as much to say nul loyall fine rightfully leuied viz. a fine leuied by Baron and Feme for it is true that before this Statute was made and somewhat after it too there was no estate taile come into England A fine might then well and rightfully haue beene leuied by Baron Feme the Barons heire be bound with warrantie and the wiues heire barred for euer But now since the Statute if Baron and Feme had made a feoffement in fée by deede in the Countrey the womans heyre after decease of them both may haue a Writ of entry sur cui in vita for all the husbands warranty And this Statute of Glocester had left a fine no more force then a feoffement here if the finall exception had not beene for when it comes with insemente in mesme le manner giuing a writt of entry to auoyd the alienation made by the father in the mothers life time this might be extended perhaps to a fine leuied by them both for where the Baron and feme doth alien by fine its true that the Baron doth alien Lest therefore a fine leuied by Baron and Feme should be thought to be inféeblished this exception of a fine was necessary and it is to be intended of a fine loyall For when the Iustices know once that tenant in right of his wife commeth to leuie a fine onely in his owne name they will not receiue it SECT XXI Dyers Exposition LIttleton in this discourse seemeth to speake as if hee tooke a warrant without assets made by tenant per Courtesie or iure vxoris to bee no collaterall warrantie now a dayes whereat I maruell A man may haue a veyne cut vnder his eare that shall disable him from performing a great part of manhood but he shall be a man notwithstanding and a horse may be so foundred that he shall neither well goe or stand and yet a horse still So this kinde of warrantie gelt or foundered by Statute remaines collaterall nomine specie Dyer is so fo 148. at Common Law saith he garrantie by tenant per le courtesie was collaterall vncore est come ieo intend But it it is no barre in Mortdancester aiel or cousinage without assets in fée simple descended ie facto whereas before the Statute it was brought to bee intended and supposed and this Statute is taken strictly for the law at this day is come ieo intend if the heyre doe not enter vpon the aliene of his father in vita patris that he shall be bound and barred of his entry by the warrantie If the Father be disseised and release with warrantie the heyre shall be barred without assets both of entry and action also for this is none alienation by tenant by the Courtesie In the last point of the Statute of Glocester for alienation by the husband in vita vxoris c. if he alien the purchase of his wife with warranty this is out of the Statute for heritage or marriage is not intended purchase by her So much my Lord Dyer note that both he and Littleton stand vpon the word Marriage which indeed is not in the letter of the Statute SECT XXII The Statute of 32. H. 8. ca. 28. WEe haue passed the pillers not of Hercules but of Littleton in the Husbands power ouer his wiues Inheritance now let vs looke plus vltra with Columbus King Henry the eight and the Parliament ordained in the yeare aboue specified That all Leases of Mannors Lands Tenements or Hereditaments hereafter to bee made by Indenture sealed for yeares or for life by any person or persons being of the age of one and twenty yeares and seised in fee-simple or féetaile in the right of themselues their Churches or wiues or iointly with their wiues of any estate of Inheritance made before Couerture or after shall be good c. against the Lessors their wiues heyres and Successors c. according to the estate comprised in such Indenture of lease in like manner and forme as if the Lessors and euery of them at time of the Lease making had beene seised in pure fée-simple to her owne onely vses prouiso that this act extend not to Leases made of Mannors Lands Tenaments or Hereditaments being in the hands of any fermor or fermors by vertue of any old Lease vnlesse the old Lease be expired surrendred or ended within one yeare next after making of the new Lease nor shall extend to any grantée of reuersion c nor to any Lease of any Mannors Lands Tenements c. which hath not beene commonly let to ferme or occupied by fermors by space of 20. yeares next before such Lease nor to any Lease made without impeachment of waste nor to any Lease to be made for aboue 21. yeares or thrée liues at the most from the day of the making thereof And vpon euery
another mans Seignory may Lease away their estate for a proud fine and a little rent Nay yée may be sure that if they might set the example they should be gotten to make Leases for esperuiers annuall and small yearely income in hope that my young Master at his full age should be content with the old rent and a kennell of 〈…〉 ds King Henries and the Parliaments meaning was not therefore that their Leases should be any patternes for reseruation of rent by Tenant in Taile or as I suppose in the right of his Wife If Baron and Feme make a Lease by Indenture for twenty yeares to commence at Michaelmas it might séeme doubtfull by the booke 7. 8. Eliz. Dyer 246. whether it be a good Lease by this Statute If Baron and Feme by their Indenture make a Lease to commence after the Wiues death I thinke this no good Lease according to the Statute for twenty one years ought to be from the making of the Lease c. If the Baron and Feme die the Heyre is not bound to accept the rent or allow the Lease And though he doe accept it if the Land were tailed he may enter notwithstanding vide 10. Eliz. Dyer 279. If Baron and Feme make a Lease by Indenture c. for 31. yeares quaere the Baron dying whether this be a good Lease for 21. yeares or no I thinke it is not but standeth méerely at Common Law For the first Prouiso of this act is that it shall not haue respect or extend to Leases made for aboue 21. yeares When King Henry the eight in 31. of his Reigne by Parliament had made voyd all Leases to bee made of Lands which should afterward come to him if any Leases former were in esse or being with prouiso viz if he which had an old vnexpired lease tooke a new that he should hold for 21. yeares from making of the new Lease so that it excéeded not twenty one yeares it was admitted in Falmestones Case that such a Lease made for fifty yeares was good for 21. Plo. 110. And when Thomas Vmpton after 32. Henry the 8. ca. 1. which gaue power to Tenant per Chiualrie to deuise two parts of his land had deuised a whole mannor in fée before 34. Ed. 3. 5. Hen. 8. of explanation which will by the said Statute of explanation was referred to the Law the deuice was adiudged good for two parts contra Kelwais opinion as you may sée 4. 5. Phil. Mar. Dyer 150. But these cases differ farre from the former as yee may finde by the comparing the Statutes If after a Demise by Baron and Feme for twenty shillings of vsuall rent the husband release all his right except twelue pence c. or grant that the Lessée shall hold dispunishable for waste the Wife accepting twelue-pence post mortem viri may distraine for the rest notwithstanding and haue an action of waste Dyer 304. Note before this Statute was made the Count Bridge water being tenant in taile the remainder to Basset in taile he bound himselfe in recognizance to the said Basset to make no alienation grant sale conueyance or exchange otherwise then for his owne life it was a question after the statute whereunto Basset and all men were parties whether the Earle might now make a lease for xxi yeares without forfeiture of his Recognizance resolved by Bromely Portman and Harris serjeants that he could not but if hee did make such a lease they thought that neither hee in remainder or the donour should euer auoid it by any dying sans issue 33 H. 8. f. 49. in Dyer who concludeth and so shall the statute be expounded for so was the intent a meaning of the makers yet the text hath no word of donours or of them in remainder I heare that law is taken now to bee cleane contrary in the last point viz that remainders and reuersions are freed from this act and I beleeue it the rather because 34. H 8. ca. 20. that frustrateth fained recoueries against tenant in tayle where the King is in reuersion or remainder in the prouision for strength of leases made according to the Statute is only against the Heyre or heyres of tenant in taile c. The last part of the Statute SECT XXVI THe Last part of the Statute is negatiue against 〈◊〉 continuance which how farre it preuailed before or after the act the former instructions with the act it selfe doe put in some cleerenesse But a case or two will make it more plaine Amy Townsend seised of a Mannor in tayle take a husband the husband made a feoffement 29. of H. 8. to diuers persons in fée to the vse of himselfe and his wife for life of them two with remainders of vse ouer After this Statute made Amy and her husband made a Lease for 21. yeares of part of this Manuor according to this act of 32. H 8 Amy died first then her husband died the question is whether Amy were remitted to her former estate taile by vertue of 27. H. 8. ca. 10. and so the Lease good 〈◊〉 was argued on the one part that reduction of the possession by the statute 27. c. was of effect alone with their feoffement and because this possession was regained without either tort or folly in the wife whose agréement whether she would or no was included in her husbands agreement during Couerture she must néeds when Couerture was dissolued till disclaimer or some act done to the contrarie be ●diudged in possession there was then no tenant against whom to bring her cui in vita if she should not bring her cui in vita to purge the first wrong she must needs be remitted if she were remitted this cause must néeds be good And although the Statute of 27. settle possessions according to qualitie and quantitie of the vse yet it séemeth not that so it shall continue but they may change by a former ancient right for the Act being affirmatiue takes not the Common Lawes operation in remitters besides that it hath an expresse sauing of eygne right further if that the wife should not be remitted this inconuenience followeth the Baron might charge the Wiues inheritance with a rent to the whole yearly value or be bound in a Statute merchant c. and then making a feoffement to his wiues vse shee should hold the land charged after his death To this it was answered on the other part that the feoffement at the time therof made a discontinuance which puts Amy to her cui in vita which because she hath not vsed but is come to possession onely by force of 27. c. she must take it onely by the manner order and limitation of the same Statute Couerture or infancie being no whit materiall because the Statute hath none exception The words are in manner forme qualitie and condition of the vse c. and because this was a new Constitution of that which was not at the Common Law it
shall be deemed and construed to be the act of both of them as if the Baron seised in right of his Wife or ioyntly with his wife assigne Dower to another woman it bindeth and so granting of a rent for equality of partition and atturnement by the Baron alone bindes the Wife SECT XXX of Iointures I Will enter no further into the streame of Fines and recouerie they require a cunning swimmer And a short Discourse cannot possibly make any plaine discouery of them otherwise this place would haue borne the Doctrine fitly about making of ioyntures for all husbands are not so vnkinde or vntrusty as to endamage their Wiues by alienation of their Lands but contrariwise the greatest part of honest wise and sober men are of themselues carefull to purchase somewhat for their Wiues if they be not yet they stand sometimes bound by the womans parents to make their Wiues some Ioynture If husband Father Mother and all would be vnmindfull of prouision in this point yet very many of our English women haue with their singular vertue so much wisedome of their owne as to foresee for themselues and discerne the difference betwéene that which wee call Dower and Ioynture Ioyntures saith Dyer 4. M. fo 148 are made for the most part to Baron and Feme ioyntly or to the Feme onely this also is comprehended vnder the terme Ioynture before Marriage or after for sustentation of the charge and necessities of Espousalls and they are made causa matrimon●● gratis without the consideration of money bargaine or any thing sauing for loue and affection of the Baron or his ancessors and these Iointures are a present possession But Dower must be tarried for till the Husband be dead It must be demanded sometime sued for sometime neither with suit or demand obtained Againe Dower was subiect to forfeiture in times past by felony done and proued in the Baron by the Barons treason by the Wiues elopement and euery question in the validitie of Marriage maketh a scruple of Dower all which inconueniences being wisely foreséene women did learne to become ioynt purchasors with their husbands of such estates as would auoid all weathers and a good while they did enioy Ioyntures and Dowers after their Husbands were dead against which the Statute of 27. H. 8. of vses ordeineth as followeth SECT XXXI A part of 27. H. 8. ca. 10. IT is prouided c. that where any persons haue purchased or haue estate of lands c. made to them and their Wiues and to the heyres of the Husband or to the Husband and wife and the heyres of their two bodies or to the heyres of one of their bodies or to the husband and wife for terme of their liues or for the life of the wife or where any such estate hath béene or shall be made to any husband and his wife or to other persons their heyres and assignes to the vse and behoofe of the said husband and wife or to the vse of the wife for the ioynture of the wife that in euery such case the woman hauing such a Ioynture c. shall not claime any Dower of the residue of any Hereditaments that were her Husbands by whom she had such a Ioynture or make any demand thereof against the Tenants of the said lands c. prouided that if any woman be lawfully expulsed or euicted from her said Ioynture or from any part thereof without fraud or Couen by lawfull entry action or discontinuance of her Husband that euery such woman shall be endowed of as much of the residue of her Husbands hereditaments as the Lands or Tene●ents so euicted shall amount or extend vnto Prouided that nothing in this act extend to hurt or preiudice any woman heretofore married concerning her right title vse interest or possession which she may claime or pretend to haue for her Ioynture or Dower in any Lands c. of her late Husband being now disseised Prouided also that if any Wife haue or hereafter shall haue any Lands Tenements or Hereditaments vnto her giuen or assured after Marriage for terme of her life or otherwise in Ioynture except the assurance be made to her by act of Parliament and the Wife after that fortune to out-liue her husband in whose time the Ioynture was made that the Wife so ouer-liuing shall and may at her pleasure refuse the Lands appointed or assured in Ioynture and thereupon haue demand and take her Dower by Writt or otherwise according to the Common Law SECT XXXII The Exposition THe first obseruance is that no estate gained by matter of conclusion shall be déemed a purchasement within this Statute or bee auerred to bee made pro iunctura But the Statute must be intended of true and substantiall estates Therefore if an owner or tenant of certaine land make answer to Baron and Feme in an action of waste or if he pray ayde of them as if they were seised of the reuersion or if he bring a quod ei deforceat against them as if he had none other then a particular estate though these things were purposed for Ioynture yet they seclude not a Woman from right or demand of Dower Releases such as inure to make estates as where a ioynt-tenant releaseth to his Companion or such as goe to inlarge an estate as where he in reuersion releaseth to his particular Tenant may well make and accomplish a Ioynture but such Releases as worke no more but vn mitter le droit as where he that is disseised by Baron and Feme releaseth to the woman the disseiseresse c. are no purchase intended within this Statute for it is meant onely of such purchases as the wife hath by gift either of her husband or of some other body and not of such estates as shee hath gained by her owne wrong likewise is it of releases that goe by way of extinguishment as where a Disseisor infeoffeth Baron and Feme and the Disseisée releaseth to one of them this is alike auaileable to both but this release can make no Ioynture for there is no estate conueyed by it Per iusticiarios 6. Ed. 6. Brooke titles Dower a deuise of Land by the Husband to his Wife in his last will and testament is no barre of Dower for it is but a beneuolence and no Ioynture Yet in M. Brograues reading it was holden contrary 5. Eliz. Dyer 220. the case is that a man seised of Lands in taile and of some other in fée-simple holden in socage deuiseth the third part of all his Lands to his wife for her life in full recompence of all such Ioynture and Dower as she shall haue or may claime c. the Wife without any assignement or vser of Action of Dower entreth after his death into that which was holden in Fée-simple to a value of a third part of all and the opinion was she had determined her election and barred her selfe of Dower But this Case maketh nothing to the variance or question because the
a di●●ringas shall goe against him Againe 11. H. 4. a 〈…〉 ●api●s went against Baron and Feme the Baron appeared and the wife made default the Plaintiffe could not obtaine exigent against them both but he had it against the Feme and an idem dies giuen to the Baron For though in a praecipe quod redd●● in 〈…〉 of the grand 〈…〉 and such like and for losse of 〈…〉 returned vpon Baron and Feme the wiues default be the husbands default yet the wiues default onely shall ●ot ●ée so 〈…〉 to him as to driue him to a corporall punishment as to the capias or exigent Likewise 39. Ed ● 3. fol. 18. 〈…〉 against Baron and Feme at the exigent the Baron appeared the wife made default and because shée was misnamed in the writ a new exigent went out and a● idem dies to the husband yet he was compelled here to answer maintenants 8. H. 4. fol. 6. in appeale of Mayhem against Baron and Feme after exigent awarded the Baron alone came and found suerty and had a supersedeas though the wife neuer appeared 12 H. 4. fo 1. in a writ of debt against Baron and Feme processe continued till capias was awarded then the Baron appeared of his ow●● accord and the wife made default an idem dies was giuen to the husband and a capias sicut alias went against the wife which came and finding suerties had a supersedeas to the Sheriffe then at the day of appearing the wife c●me and the Baron made default therein was awarded that the wife should haue another day of maineprise and processe went out against the husband But this he said should be no example in temps a vener SECT XLVII Of Fourching THis interchange or shifting of appearance and default by Baron and Feme is called sourching or fourcher The terme being of no greater linage than from a hay forke or pitchforke which in french is fourth The Logicians call their dilemma a forke And our Ancients haue giuen a like name to a subtill kinde of delay which parceners ioyntenants and married couples had at the common Law when suits were commenced against them called forcher for euen as a cunning fighting bull when he is bayted offering to the dog first one horne and then another might be said to forth so these conioyned aduersaries were wont to play with both tynes when first one should appeare and his fellow be ●ssoyned and at the next day of appearance he should make default which formerly appeared and be essoyned by him which first made default Against this West 1. ca. 42. complaining that demandants were greatly delayed by 〈…〉 which might not answer but together and by ioyntenants which knew not their owne seuerall that vsed to four●h by ●ssoine till euery one were once essoined Ordeineth that such tenants henceforth shall bée allowed no essoine more than at one day and as one person The Statute of Gloucester made 6. eius●em Regis 〈…〉 the first reciteth the former Statute thus Whereas it is established that parceners and tenants in common shall not fourth by essoine after they haue once appeared in Court It is ordeined that the same Law shall bée obserued when a man and his wife are impleaded c. In the booke 12. H 4. fo 1. Culpeppe● affirmeth that fourcher which was at the common Law in a writ of debt is not to be re 〈…〉 died by this Statute of 〈…〉 And Thi 〈…〉 confesseth that the Statute i 〈…〉 l●●d 〈…〉 yet saith he at the common Law 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 might neuer fourth by distresses infinet in a writ of debt for that they are in a manner one person in law Thus much of sourching SECT XLVIII The Baron and Feme appeare BVt admitting that there is no delay vsed how shall Baron and Feme plead I suppose it is hardly comprehended within rules Brooke setteth downe that in a quid ●uris clamat against Baron and Feme they may deny the deed by which the Feme should bee bound and a quid iuris clamat was brought against a Feme couert 18. H. 6. fo 1. Titulo Baron Feme 83. And where the Baron is estopped from pleading non tenure the wife is so t●● Titulo lou●nes accompts Br. 17. ●6 assisar p. 44. An Assise was brought against Baron and Feme the Baron canus in proper person and pleaded the Plaintiff 〈…〉 the wines Atturney was asked if hée would ass●●t to the plea who answered he would be aduised therefore thes d●●● was deliuered ba●● againe to the husband to the intent that it should not bée allowed vnlesse the wines Atturney consented who alterward agreed Thus doth Fitzh titulo Assise abridge the case 243. very néere the originall for Brooke mist●ke it or I mistake him in the title of Baron and Feme 72. In an action of debt against Baron and Feme executrix It in a good pleading to say that the wife hath fully administred and a good replication to say that the wise hath asserts sins pa●ler del Baron ●● Hen. 6. fo 4. And there it is said that a wife 〈…〉 may administer and distribute gods without the assent of her husband And if that she sell the Testator goods and redeme them yet still they remaine assets If a Fame tenant for life take a husband and they sine being 〈…〉 of a stranger if the Baron die he in 〈…〉 cannot enter for that is the act of the husband If a Feme tenant for life take a husband which alieneth in Fee and hee in reuerston entereth if now the Baron dye the wife shall haue the land againe 29. assisar p. 43. Brooke 86. Titulo Baron and Feme The case is of an estate made to baron and Feme in the booke of assises in a writ of entry in nature of assise against Baron and Feme the Baron pleaded non tenure for his wife and for himselfe Ioyntenantie with a stranger This was Bolden a good plea per Curian● and not double for he must answer for both 16. H. 6. fo 22. 12. Rich. 2. Baron and Feme were acquit in appeale it was found by verdict that they had béene imprisoned to damnages C. l. By Thinne H●ll Iustices the dammages ought to be seuered the Baron to haue one iudgement for himselfe and he and his wife another iudgement for his wife for if the husband should dye before execution the wife ought to haue execution of her da●u●ages and not the husbands executors which could not bee if the recouery were in common Fitzh Titulo Iudgement 108. SECT XLIX Outlarie of Baron and Feme or of one of them 44. Ed. ● fo 3. The Baron and Feme being outlawed in an action of debt got each of them a seuerall Charter of pardon sued scire facias against the Plaintiffe and found maineprise ioyntly the Viscount returned that the scire facias came tardy at which returne the Baron appeared without his wife and praying to haue scire facias sicut alias
companion diuorced for lands wherein shee claimeth inheritance or estate for life so if he haue aliened in sée ●ée tayle ●r for life the lands which he had in fée simple ●ée ●a le or for terme of life to a stranger she may as soone as she i● diuorced bring a Writ called a ●●i ante diuor●●●m against the Al●enee And this Writ may be in the per cu● post If shee dye before action commenced or before recouery her heire may haue a Writ called a sur●uran●e diuortium and the Aunt and Néece may joyne in i● But for her estate tayle her heire shal be put to a formidone But note Reader that it séemeth both the woman and her heire may enter after the Statute of 32. Hen. 8. and neuer bring Cui in vita nor sur cuim vi●a c. for the opinion in Grenlies Case Sir Edw. Cokes 8. Rep. fol. 73. is that if the baron alien and after the wife is diuorced causa praecontract which dissolue the marriage à vinculoma rimonii the wife during the life of the husband or after his death may enter for the words of the A●tare n● fine fe●ffeinent c. during the Couerture betwéene them and although the Statut● saith But that the same wife c. that is to be intended of her which was his wife at the time of the alienation c. Note that whereas West 2. cap. ● giueth a cui in vita vpon recouery by default against the husband c. shée shall haue a cu●●h●e diuortium vpon the like ●e●ouery by equity extension of the Statute and the processe is summons grand cape pe●i● cape I wil here set the bounds and limits of my third booke not because this sequell and consequence ●iuorte I meane whereby the issue had is bas●●●●●zed and the w●●an restored to her goods and lands conforteth with the marriage so perfectly begun as I meant it for this is not the vntying of true wedlocke but rather a dissipation of marriage tainted at the beginning and in Christian Court adiudged to a ●●llity as if it had neuer béene the Baron and F●me that I h●●● spoken of all this while if they were not married in their infant loue and very first flowing age yet were they not ●rostbitten or so blasted either of them when they were young but they might well haue fr●●tified neither was either of them a common Law breaker intangled with promise or praecontract and as for consanguinity or affinity there was no more betwixt them than is betweene Iack Flecher and his bolt You may imagine some matter by onely imagination perhaps more visible than it could haue béene being true whereupon a publike sentence of seperation being published a Thoro mensa but then there was a monition of chast liuing and prohibition to both the parties that neither of them should fl●● to other marriage so long as both of them were liuing And the Author of seperation that is the party suing diuorce did put in sufficient caution to doe nothing contrary to this prohibition So that the holy liues of matrimony were not cleane broken and pulled asunder but within a yéere or two they were reconciled voluntarily of their ●wne accord And soone after so I will make it hauing the Distaffe Spindle and Shéeres all in mine owne hand the husbands life was suddenly cut off or else the wi●e had béene sole executrix THE WOMANS LAWYER The fourth BOOKE PAle death equo pulsans pede pauperum tabernas regnumque ●urres Death I say to whom the Poet did attribute so much power in this his verse Omnia sub leges mors vocat a●●a suas hath called the husband hence left the house full of mourning and specially the wife cannot chuse but sorrow and lament If my ●oure legged beast should fall into halues the one halfe starke dead without motion or spirit and the other halfe standing still vpright senting séeing féeling gazing must it not thinke you be wonderfully astonished If an Elephant in whom as some d●e write is vnderstanding of his countries spéech a wonderfull memorie and recenting of things past a great delight in loue and glorie besides prudence equitie and religion should haue his head cut off his body remaining still for all that vegetable and sensitiue would he not trow yée be excéeding sorrowfull for the forgoing such an ornament I dare be bold to giue a woman as much as Pliny gaue the Elephant She hath vnderstanding and spéech firme memorie loue naturall and kindnesse desire of glorie and reputation with the accomplishment of many meritorions vertues But alas when she hath lost her husband her head is cut off her intellectuall part 〈…〉 gone the verie faculties of her soule are I will not s 〈…〉 cleane taken away but they are all be 〈…〉 ned di 〈…〉 ed and dazled so that she cannot thinke or remember when to take rest or ref●ction for her weake body And though her spirits and naturall moysture being inwardly exhausted with sorrow and extreme griefe she be called and inforced to seeke restauration by such aliments as life is prolonged by yet is she nothing desirous of life hauing lost a moytie of herselfe yea the principall maytie now best prised and estéemed but neuer best loued Time must play the Physitian and I will helpe him a little Why mourne you so you that be widowes Consider how long you haue beene in subiection vnder the predeminance of parents of your husbands now you be frée in libertie frée proprii●uris at yo●r owne Law you may see num cap. ●0 That maidens and wiues vowes made vpon their soules to the Lord himselfe of heauen and earth were all disauowable and infringible by their parents or husbands vnlesse they ratified and allowed them either expresse or by silence at the day when such vowes came first to their notice and knowledge But the vow of a widow or of a woman diuorced no man had power to disallow of for her estate was free from controlment Must a woman néeds wéepe thus for the losse of her Buckler Shield and defence in the person of him with whom she held daily commutation of all offices proceeding from loue and superlatiue kindnesse Let her learne to cast her whole loue and deuotion on him that is better able to loue and defend her than all the men in the world Him I meane that hath forbidd●n to afflict widdowes or orphans with promise to heare their cries and vindicate their wrongs by killing them by the sword and making the wiues widdowes and their children fatherlesse of them which breake this Commandement Exod. cap. 22. Then because a sober carefulnesse and moderate sedulitie in businesse of profit or disprofit doth mitigate greatly the sorrowing for such actions as opinion or fancie makes thus grieuous let her looke to her affaires as cause and need requireth SECT I. Of Executorship and Administration SHe is not made an Executor because the office is troublesome let her take
this Warrantor be vnder age yet the Law fauoureth widdowes so much that the plaint shal not attend his full age Therefore if the Tenant shew forth any Charter Déed or speciall cause whereby the Court may perceiue that the Infant is bound to Warrantie by the Ancestors act he shall answer presently what age soeuer he be of And though the Infant in ward be aliened by his Gardian or Gardians from hand to hand this shall not preiudice the Voucher for alwayes he shall vouch to warrantie the Heire and not the Gardian who is bound to present his ward so vouched in Court without difference whether it be one or many parceners Thus saith Britton and 48. Ed. 3. fol. 5. agreeth that he which voucheth an heire vnder age must vouch him in ward de vntiel If he be a ward it is said there also that hee which voucheth an heire at full age must shew a Déed quaere But when the lands are in the Gardians owne possession to his owne profit and vse the writ of Dower must ●ée brought against the Gardian and not against the Infant 46. Ed. 3. fol. 19. Where Mowbray saith where an Infant is vouched in ward of the King the woman shall recouer Dower maintenant 3. H. 6. fol. 17. It was agréed per curiam that in Action of Dower if the tenant vouch the heire in the Kings ward within the same Countie where the writ is brought the Demandant shall not recouer before the warrantie be determined but the Law is contra if the Voucher had prayed summons in another Countie for then the Demandant should recouer maintenant yet by the Register fol. 7. if in a writ of Dower the tenant vouch in Durham the Demandant shall abide triall of the warrantie and not recouer presently But by Fitzherbert for a rule in titulo Voucher if the tenant vouch in a forraine Countie shee shall recouer maintenant and neuer attend triall of the warrantie but when Voucher is in mesme l● countie If the heire vouched to warrantie aft●r ●hee hath appeared and count●● pleaded the warrantie or before appearance being lawfully summoned do 〈…〉 ke default the Defendant shall haue execution against him maintenant if hee haue lan●s within the Countie Brooke Dower 5. And also Dower the 6● when the heire is vouched in the same Countie the woman shall recouer against the heire Dyer 3. Eliz. ●●● In Dower the tenant vouch the heire in the same Countie who co 〈…〉 as one that hath nothing by descent in ●ée and renders Dower the tenant auers that he hath ass●●● by descent qu 〈…〉 if he should not say in fée for by Weston and Browne if the lands be in taile it doth not 〈…〉 the tenants lan●s And the opinion of the Court was that the Demandant shall haue Iudgement presently aga 〈…〉 the heire if he hath lands c. and if not against the tenant and that before the issue of the ass●●s tried 1 Ed. ● fol. 24 In a writ of Dower against Tenant for life if he vouch his Lessor which is heire to the husband the woman shall recouer against the Tenant and he ouer against the Vouchee But when the heire i● vouched by Charter of his Ancestor the Demandant shall 〈…〉 couer against the Vouchee and the Tenant shall hold 〈…〉 peace Yet in a Writ of Dower against Lessée for 〈…〉 e of the Barons demise if the heire bee vouched to Warrantie though here the reuersion which is the cause of the Warrantie were made by the Baron the Demand 〈…〉 shall recouer against the Tenant and he against the heire If the tenant vouch in a writ of Dower and the Vouch 〈…〉 counter plead the Warrantie the woman shall recouer maintenant though in other actions it bée otherwise 46. Ed. 3. fol. 25. and 49. Ed. 3. fol. 23. In a Writ of Dower the Tenant vouched himselfe to s●●e the 〈…〉 taile 2. H. 4. fol. 18. in Dower the Tenant vouched the heire Processe went on to sequatur sub suo periculo sicut alias the Vouchée came not it was awarded the Demandant should recouer against the Vouchée if hee had lands in the same Countie If not that shee shall recouer against the Tenant and hee ouer in value But first it was examined if the Vouchee were heire to the Baron 21. Ed. 3. fol. 30. In Dower the tenant voucheth the Barons heire in ward of the demandant per cause de nurture shewing the Ancestors Déed he was compelled to plead in barre because now the woman might be endowed De la plus beale for Gardeine pur nurture hath alwayes intendment to Soccage tenure Vide Brooke Dower 42. 5. Ed. 3. The fathers wife was endowed the Grandmother brought a writ of Dower against her ●he vouched the heire in reuerston the Demandant recouered against the tenant and shee against the heire a third part of two parts remaining but not in value Sée Brooke Dower 79. If the Grandmother die the mother may enter into the first dower and the heire into the second SECT IX Plees in a writ of Dower ADmitting there were no Voucher let vs run ouer other matters vsually pleaded 14. H. 4. 33. in Dower was demanded a third part of two mils of other lands y● tenant asked Iudgement of the plaintiffe for they were during the whole time of couerture but the ●●te of two mills viz. to●ts 38. Ed. 3. fol. 13. In a writ of dower against one as Gardian of land and heire of K. de R. the defendant answered that the Infants father was ● de R. Iudgement del briefe and if the writ were good hee was ready to render dower You cannot said Knyuet plead to the writ render dower both at one day so the demandant praying Iudgement seisen was awarded her And because she auerred that the defendant was not touts temps prist to render dower an Inquest of dammages was awarded and that execution should cease till the Inquest were past 13. Ed. 4. fol. 7. In action of dower the tenant pleaded touts temps prist de render Dower vncore est The demandant said that I. S. her husband died seised and that such a day and yeere she required the tenant to indow her at Dale which refused c. he replyed that at the same day he offered to goe with her to the lands and to assigne her dower but she refused sans ceo that he refused The Court held the Issue well taken by this speciall pleading But if hee had said generally and barely hee refused not some thought it had not beene sufficient insomuch as it denies not the request Bryan said the demandant here might not haue seuerall Iudgements of one thing for note shee was to recouer dower vpon the first plea but all the other Iustices were of opinion cleere that shee should haue Iudgement of Dower maintenant and 18. Ed. 3. In action of Dower Iudgement was to recouer dower with an inquest for dammages As in a Quare
impedit the Plaintiffe may haue one writ to the Bishop and another to the Sheriffe to enquire of dammages Likewise 14. H. 8. fol. 25. in a plea of dower vpon confession the demandant recouered Iudgement and after Iudgement auerring that her husband died seised shee prayed a writ to enquire of dammages habuit for if the demandant in dower will recouer dammages shee must euer surmize that her husband died seised though the Tenant confesse the Action or plead but onely to the Writ and in the end of her Demise shee may maintaine the Writ for sur plee briefe the dying seised appeares not without surmise c. 22. H. 6. fol. 44. SECT X. Deteiner of Euidence BY Perkins none may deteine Dower for deteining of euidence but only the heire to whom the euidence belongeth and the heire when he pleads must shew what the euidence is c. And they must concerne the lands discended vnto him whereof Dower is demanded for hée may not deteine Dower of land which the Charters concerne not or for Charters concerning his purchased lands or those whereof he hath no seisin Aliter if they concerne some reuersion descended But if the heire come in vouched to warranty by the Barons feofée hée cannot plead this Deteiner of Euidence because in verity the land is another mans to whom most rightly the Charters belong But one copercener may haue this plea after partition against her mother or other Demandant in Dower though the euidence concerne the other parceners and her all alike see 41. Titulo Dower in Brooke If a widdow that is with child deteine euidence against her husbands daughter and heire or other heire collaterall it shall bée no sufficient plea to delay Dower 1. Perkins 70. 71. 18. Hen. 8. fol. 1. The heire said the Demandant deteined a bagge ensealed with the euidence concerning the land which if hée would deliuer hee was ready to render Dower bone plee per Curiam 33. Hen. 6. fol. 51. The Tenant pleaded for part of the land whereof Dower was demanded non tenure for another part detinue of Charters for another part Ioyntenancie which his father for a fourth part demanded view but it might not be granted because he tooke notice to himselfe of that part by pleading to the rest And the Plaintiffe to his plea of suruiuor pleaded his release made to the father her husband in his life time Issi●● seisi que Dowre c. The plea of Euidence detained as Littleton said went to the whole action quod fuit negatum v●de Brooke ●y Dower 4 but he was forced to shew what euidence he deteineth viz. a speciall Charter 4● Ed. 3. The Tenant pleaded a withholding of Euidence certaine conce●ning his inheritance and shewes what Et q●e il a● estre toures temps prist si c. the woman made title to two deeds by gift to her husband and her selfe and for the other Euidence shee said whereas the Defendant claimed as brother and heire to her husband shee kept it to the vse of her child si ou●sq̄ soit inseint q̄ serra ●eure si dien luy done nostre and issue was taken whether she were ins●int die obitus mariti not whether shee were inseint per son baron die obit●s And that booke of 41. Edw. ● is cited for law in Sir Edw. Cokes 7. Rep. fol. 9 that a woman may deteine Charters for the heire in ventre ●a mere And 22. Hen. 6. fol. 16. It was agréed that deteiner of Euidence is no plea in an Action of Dower vnlesse it concerne Inheritance discended Et si● videtur ibidem saith Brooke that if it concerne inheritance though it be not the very land whereof Dower is demanded the plea is good 9. Edw. 4. to plea of Charters deteined the Demandant answered veies cy●le fait pr●● dower the Court reading and perceiuing it to bee the déed c. gaue iudgement for Dower 14. Hen. 6. fol. 4 The Tenant pleaded detinue of a chest with two fines and other Charters ꝑ Martin Iustice if the Chest were open he ought to declare euery déed specially by it selfe and so it is likewise in action of detinue for a Chest open with euidence quod curia concessit 2. Hen. 7. fol. 6. Is set downe the reason why the certainty of euidence deteined must bee showne viz. That the Iury may be more able to make their verdict and the Court to iugde to whom they appertaine for if they belong to the Defendants purchase he is put to a Writ of detinue And 6. Eliz. Dyer 230. sée a man seised of foure acres soccage land and of one déed or Charter concerning those lands by his last will in writing deuised thrée of his acres to his youngest sonne in fée the fourth acre to his wife for life the remainder to a stranger in fee h● died his wife got the déed entred into her acre and the sonne into the three acres deuised to him the woman brings a Writ of Dower for a third of these thrée acres The sonne pleads detinue of the Charter which if she would de●●uer he is and alwayes had beene ready to render Dower shee shewed the whole cause by way of replication vpon that the other side demurred It seemeth saith Dyer that this plea serueth for none saue only the Barons heire and for no land but that which is descended And not for the heire himselfe if he come in by voucher or ●s Tenant by receipt in default of Tenant for life Where hee is no more but tenant per admittance for such a one cannot say that he hath béene toutes temps prist a render Dower si c. Neither can gardian in chiualry haue this plea for he cannot haue a writ of detinue of the heires euidence And this plea is a bar for no lands but those which the Charters deteined do concerne 22. H. 6. Where Newton saith the reason of this barre is because the euidence being séene and looked into may yéeld matter to barre the Demandant of her Dower for such lands therefore as the Charters doe not touch Dower shall be granted of them this plea notwithstanding Also certainty must euer bee alleaged in this case if the euidence bee not in some bag bo● or chest sealed or locked vp And note the Defendant supra was not named heire by the demandant neither had he inabled himselfe to this plea as heire therefore the Court might take it indifferently As in a quare impedit if the incumbent bee named Clericus the Court takes him for a Disturber if hee inable not himselfe as incumbent or person impersonée Another fault was found in this Tenants conclusion of his plea because hee said vnco●e prist a render Dower but in very déed hee relied not againe on the condition if the Demandant would deliuer the Charter according to the ancient booke of entries And at the last iudgement was giuen pro dote Sée Sir Edw. Cokes 9. Rep. in Anna Beddingfelds case 1.
by such meanes as she may from him which recouered it 50. Ed. 3. fol. 7. loane late wife of L. W. brought her Writ of dower against T. H. demanding the third part of a Mannor It was pleaded Q●●●l ne po●●n●●s demander for ●●no 12. huius ●●gis a sine was leuied of the said Mannor betwixt I. and E. and the tenant sued Sc●●● facias out of the fine against the now demandant which came and pleaded to parcell that shee held it in Dower of indowment from her husband b● assignment of W. C. ●●●●●●d● d● l●● c. for another part she claimed for terme of ●er life by lease from W. C of whom likewise shee prayed aid and had it granted C came in by proc●sse and ioyning in aid pleaded a Feoffment made to himselfe in fée by L. the baron sonne and heire to I. W. whereunto the tenant pleaded R●●ns pass● per l● fait and the processe c●ntinued against the Iury till a day certaine at which day C. made default and this demandant maintained the iss●● which was found against the now demandant viz. that Rie●s passa per le fait and execution awarded for the plaintiffe in the Scire fac Iudgeme●t si ●●count●r ce●● recoue●●e a quel el fuit party el po●t nens demander and the demandant demurred Her pretence was that by the reco●erie she was remitted to her action paramont because the recouerie affirmes her husbands possession But the better opinion was that wh●n her Dower once lawfully ass●gned was recouered against her she had here no remedy but by exrour or attaint for a writ of right shee might not haue But if in the Scir● faci●s shée had alleaged to that part which she claimed in Dower that she h●ld it in Dower of the Assignment of W. C. Prist da●tender● a q●e le co●rt vo●●●● g●rder she had saued her estate by protestation and the reuersion might h●ue héene iudged to him which had right whereas pleading as she did some thought sh●● had forfeited h●● Dower but that was denyed by Tresili●n Belk●ap who said that when one is ●● per tort as i● the Disse●sée or his heirs ●nter vpon him which is in by discen● or if a widdow enter vpon a discontin●●● of her husband and then vpon issue taken sur seisin or disseisi● it is found for the plaintiffe the tenant is remitted to his Action paramo●● Briefe ● ●●tri● in the one case and in the other a Cu● in v●●a But if a recouerie bée against a Tenant that hath rightfull possession the rem●die must be by errours attaint or writ of right And therefore in the last cases if the tenants had pleaded● release or other matter which might e●tinct the right if it had passed again●● them their re●edy must haue béene by writ of right p●● Clop●on qu●●●e Wich said if a recouerie be had against the Baron vpon a delatory plea as no●t●nure mis●osm●● of the town or such like a woman may falsifie such a recouerie in a writ of Dower It seemes to be otherwise saith Brooke if a recouerie be had in that mann●r aga●●●● the woman her selfe who is endowed SECT XXI Admeasurement of Dower ADmeasurement is in a kinde a recouerie against a woman not of her whole Dower but of part of it for if the heire whilest hée is vnder age or the Gardian whilest the heire is in ward doe indow a widdow of more land than ●he ought to hold in Dower the heire when hee commeth to full age may haue a writ D●●●m●nsur●tione do●is against her and the Surplu● or excesse shall be restored to the heire but there is in this case onely an amputation without any nouell assignment If the heire being vnder age assigne Dower too largely before his Lord and Gardian enter into the land or seise his Ward the Gardian may haue a writ of Admeasurement by West 2. cap. 7. And if the Gardian pursue the writ faintly against the w●man indowed the heire may haue a writ of Admeasurement b● the same Statute Custodi de cae●●●o conced●t●● breue de admensuratione dotis nec per sect●● custodis si fictae per collusionem sequ●tur v●●sus mul●●●em tenentem in dot●m pr●●ludat●● hae●●● cum ad ae●●●●m p●●u●neri●●d 〈◊〉 admensu●●●dom c. If the plea be in the Co●●tie the Plaintiffe may remoue it without cause and the Defendant may remoue it with ●●●●e ●hewed in the writ as in a Repleuin And when the writ is r●●●●ed by Po●● into the Common place the pro●●●●e i● summons attachment and distr●sse c. according to the Statute Then the Sheriffe cannot make admeasurement but he shall extend the land particularly and returning the Extent ●●●o the Common place the Iustices shall admeasure Dower Note if the Gardian assigne Dower excessiue and then grant ouer his estate his assigne shall neuer haue a writ of admeasurement Likewise if the heire vnder age assigne Dower which his Gardian may admeasure when he hath entred c. but the Action is not grantable for the Gardian assigned or grantee shall not admeasure But an heire may haue the admeasuring of Dower assigned in his Ancestors tune And if a woman be indowed in Chancery per le Roy c. the heire may haue a Writ of Admeasurement if a woman after shee is ind●wed make any improuement of the ●and so that it becomes of farre g●eater value than it was of at the time of the Assignement there lieth no admeasuring vpon this improuement And Bracton saith No● erit estim●nda meliora●●o mu●●●ris quā fecit in dore suapost assignationem tempus e●im assignationis dotis erit spectandum But if this improuement bee by casualty i● some myne of c●ale or lead which had béene formerly found and occupied in the husbands time the matter is somewhat doubtfull But sée Sir Edward Cokes 5. Rep. fol. 12. a. in Saunders cap. q̄ sc That if the myne appeared at the time of the ad ass●gnem●nt admeasurement lieth As for new mynes a widdow may not make or dig any that is waste thus farre Fitzherbert Briton cap. 113. and Bracton lib. 4. cap. 17. shew with what circumstance admeasurement shal be made by the vicount surserement de probes homes praesentes per bo●e legale extent They say that the amputation is not onely of excesse and super●●uity by this Writ of admeasurement but also of that which ●ught not to bee assigned admensuratio debet esse ●am de indebito quam de superfl●o And therefore if a Castell or head of a Barrony were assigned in Dower by the Gard●an without any necessity the heire may haue this Writ for enter hee cannot say they They shew also what plea a woman may haue against admeasurement viz. that the Plaintiffe himselfe made the assignation or confirmed or allowed it being of ●ull age c. SECT XXII The charge of Dower ADmitting the Dower assigned to be both for quality and quantity iust there is yet to
be declared with what immunity a woman shall hold her Dower First Bracton saith Si peculia ma●iti sufficiant ad solutionem tenentur sed vxori dos sua deonerabitur Et heres defendere dotem warrantizare eam mulieri debet pro ea sequi comitatus hundreda curia dominorum vt viduatae domui suae intendat nutritioni suorum si qui fuerint puerorum If the husbands goods bee not sufficient for payment of his debts the heire must discharge Dower of the burden c. for he is the widd●wes warrant of her Dower and ought to follow for her County Court Court léet and hundred c. That shée may sée to her house and nurture of her children Fitzherbert in his Writ of Admeasurement first affirmes that a woman shall not be distreined in her Dower in her Inheritance or in the ioynt purchased lands to her or her husband for her husbands debts The Writ which he sets downe for remedy saith almost as much R●x Vicicounti c. cum secundum legem consuetudinem regni angliae mulieres in terris tenementis quae ten●nt in dotem de dono virorum vel quae sunt de ipsarum haereditate vel quae sibi quesiuerint pro debitis virorum distringi non debent c. And in some Writs is this Clause Dum tamen haeredes vel Executores testamenti ipsius c. ad debi●a illa reddenda nobis sufficiant But it séemes reasonable saith Fitzherbert that a woman shall not hee distreined in her Inheritance for the Kings debts neither in her Dower or Ioynt purchased lands which her husband if her title commenced before her husband became debtor and there is a Writ in the register importing no lesse yea hee affoord● it to be good reason that lands purchased by Baron and Feme after the Baron is entred in debt to the King should be discharged in the widdowes hands But let widdowes agrée with the King as well as they can the heire is lyable to the debts of his Ancestor before the widdow The heire likewise dischargeth her of suit and seruice and is so farre forth her warrant that by Britton if shee be impleaded and vouch any other to warranty she forfeiteth her Dower pur sa malice and though her husbands feofee be not called her warrant yet if she be indowed by him shee must hold of him And regularly Tenant in Dower must be Attendant to her husbands heire or to the heires Gardian or to the Gardenis Executor or to him in the reuercion according to the rate of rent whereby they hold ouer if Tenent by fealty and xij d. rent bée disseised and dye his wife being indowed by the disseisor shall be an attendant to the same dissessor of iiij d. annuall And now if the heire will bring a Writ of entry in to quibus against the woman thus indowed shee may shew her speciall matter and that shée is ready to attend to whom the Court will award which shall award that she retaine her Dower still and bee attendant to the heire quaere saith Parkins if the heire haue any other remedy for hee cannot enter vpon the Tenant in Dower D.st 82. a. saith That a Feme tenant in Dower leaueth the reuersion in him against whom shee demands her Dower although he be a disseisor and doth not reduce the reuersion by her recouery to him which hath right as other Tenants for life doe And as it is said in Sir Edward Cokes 8. Rep. 35. in Paynes ca. if she recouer against Tenant for life shee leaueth the reuersion in him But by nat br fol. 265. a. if the King assigne Dower in Chancery as Gardian the reuersion reposeth in the heire for which he shall sue liuery If after iudgement the heire grant his reuersion and the woman atturne she shall be Attendant to the grantée If Lord Meane Tenant be the Tenant holding by iij. d. rent and the Meane by 20. d. If the Tenant marry and the Meane release to him all his right in the tenancy the Tenant dieth the wife must bee endowed according to her husbands best possessions and therefore shall bee Attendant to the heire by a penny and not the third part of twenty pence If hee which holdeth by fealty and xij d. hauing a wife sell the tenancie to his Lord and the estate is executed the Tenants wife shall be indowed sans attendancie for the Seignory extinct is not reuiuable If Lord Measne and Tenant be the Tenant holdeth by xij d. which dieth his wife is endowed shee shall bee attendant to the heire by iiij d. now if the Lord release all his right in the tenancy to the heire the meanalty is extinct and the attendance gone for it was but in respect of the charge which the heire was at to his next Lord. But where there is Lord and Tenant by fealty and xij d. rent if the Tenant make a gift in tayle of the land to hold of him and his heires by xx s. rent c. if the donée dye without issue his wife endowed shall be attendant to the donor by v. s. and viij d. although the Lord release to the donor for his attendance is not in respect of the charge ouer but by a speciall reseruation If there be Seignor Meane and Tenant by fealty and iij. s. rent the Meanes wife after he be foreiudged in a Writ of meane and dead shall be endowed without attendance If Tenant by fealty and xij d. make a gift in taile of the land re●●●●ing ●ij d. rent c. and the do●ce hauing a wife and issue by her ●iscontinueth in fee and dieth now though the wife recouer Dower and haue execution of it against the discontinues yet she shall not be attendant to him for h●s is not chargeable as the Baron was because the Dowers ●uowry resteth of ●ere●●●●● vpon the issue to whom for all that the widdow shall not bee attend●●t till hee haue recontinued the 〈◊〉 resayle quaere tamen saith Perkins If the Tenant whilst hee It●●● held of his Lord by fealty and a 〈◊〉 of forty shillings price the Tenants widdow when shée is endowed shall bee attendant by xii● ● iiij ●c 〈◊〉 she tenure were by fealty and a nag without expresse value shée shall bée Attendant by a nag euery third yéere Perkins fo 84. ●● SECT XXIII Of the cui in vita I Have béene long in Dower and I feare mee some women had rather neuer be endowed that is they had rather die with their husbands or soone after them than bée bound to learne this Catechisme yet I must come to it once againe But first let vssée how lands whereunto a woman may haue right by ancient indowment or by discent or gift in franckmarriage or by some other acquisition before or during Couerture in fee fée tayle for life or for yéeres may bee reduced if the husband haue aliened them for it the possession continued alwayes in the
if he were intituled by the Curtesie the A●tion is stayed so leng as he liueth And this Writ lyeth of a V● Mi. 21. Edw. 3. 44. Edw. 3. 4 5. A man ●eised in right of his wife discontinued and after diuers alienations hee repurchased the lands to himselfe his wife died the heire brought a ●ur cui in vita against him praecipe W. ● quod reddar c. cui contradicere non potuit exception against the writ because it was not by another na●e but it was disalowed and the writ awarded good If the Baron alien his wiues see simple with warranty and lea●ing asse●●● to discend in fée he and his wife dye and the h●ire alieneth the asse●●s and dieth his heire shall be barred in a sur cui in vi●a But if an heire intail● alien the asse●●s and dye his issue shall not be barred SECT XXIV The 〈◊〉 d●f●rciat THe quod ej deforciat though it be not méerly a womans Writ yet perhaps it comes not more ●ptly into consideration any where than in this place after the cui in vita If Tenant in ●aile or Te●●●● in Dower or T●nant per Courcesie or Tenant for t●●me of life ●●●e their la●● by default in any 〈◊〉 quod redda● brought against them they haue no remedy if they were summoned according to Law but by this Writ which is giuen in expresse for me by West 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writ lyeth against the 〈◊〉 and his heires in which case 〈◊〉 particular Tenant was without remedy at the Common law for a writ of right hee could not haue The Statute having ●irst appointed 〈◊〉 woman shall recouer Dower where the husband 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 by de●ault viz. by writ of Dower in which the T●nant must not plead the iudgement alone but he m●st also pr●●e her right sheweth also how actions run together When a woman already indowed or Tenant by the curtesie or in franck marriage or by other in taile or for life demand the estate which they the●●●●ues lost by default in which cases when it is come to that that the Tenant m●st pro●e h●s right the Demandants which cannot an●wer witho●t them in the reuersion may vouch them ●●●i● flent ●ene●tes in priori br●●● And so the Tenant ●●it loco actoris and if the Action were ● Writ of right they may procéed to the grand a●●ise or battaile And furt●er C●m mulier ius non habens impete●●● bre●e de dote super custodem custos per fa●orem mulieris dotem reddiderit vel defaltam fecerit vel placitum i 〈…〉 ct pe● coll●sionem defenderit vt dos fuerit mulieri adiudicata prouisum est quod cum ad aetatem ve●e●t haeres habeat actionem petendi seis●●am ●ntecessoris sui c. it a tamen vt salua sit mulie●i exceptio quod ius h●be●t in dote quod si ostenderit recedat qui●●a sit haeres in misericordia grauiter amerci●tur secundū discretionem Iustie● Then to the quod ●i deforciat Si haeres vel alius de dore sua implacitaverit muli●r●m si dotem suam per defaultam amisserit fi●● ei tale breue praecipe A. quod iuste redda● B. qui fuit vxor C. vnum messuagium cum pertinent●s in N. quod clamat ●ss● rationabilem dotem vel de rationabil● dote sua quod idem A. in●uste ei defo●cia● So is ●●●zherber● but by the old ●● b●● it must not be called an i●●u●● for●ing Ps. car le poll ini●ste non habetur in Stat●to which is true ad istud breue habeat tenens exceptionem ad osten de● du● quod mulie● i●● non habeat in do●● quod si ●●●nd at reced a● quietus c. Last of all because vntill this time the Law 〈◊〉 no remedy vpon lo●●e by default ●●● only a writ of right which serued not for them that ●●●ld not speake de mero iure viz. Tenants for life in 〈◊〉 marriage or in taile ●he 〈◊〉 to a●oid that proiudi●e g●●es them likewi●e their 〈◊〉 writ● of quo●●● defo●●●●● 〈◊〉 according to their title either quam clamat ad termium vitae vel vt ius maritagium vel sibi haeredibus de corpore Tenant by the curtesie likewise though it be not expressed by the Statute may haue a quod e● deforciat quam clamat tenere per l●gem Angliae which is by equity saith Fitzherbert If any Tenant of those particular estates lost by default by reason of non summons he may haue a quod ei deforceat or a writ of deceipt at his pleasure If a man lose by default in a writ of waste sued against him hee shall not haue a quod ei deforciat because the waste must be found by verdict nouell na bre Yet 2. Hen. 4. fol. 2. Hanc said if a writ to enquire of waste were awarded the Defendant which lost the land might haue a quod e● deforciat videtur lex esse contra saith Brooke for it was there agreed by all the Court that attaint lyeth in an Action of waste and the party may challenge the Iury yea the booke at large is that the Viscount may quash the pannell though it be of his owne making so that this kinde of recouery is by verdict and not by default Note that 21. Hen. 6. Challenge is denied but by Newton and Vaston Iustices Markham and Portington Serieants attaint lieth But sée Sir Edw. Cokes Comment vpon Fitzherbert fol. 355. that is resolued that if the Tenant in a Writ of waste in the tenet lose by default a quod ei deforcea● lieth as well as in assise and it is no reason to say that attaint lyeth against the Iury for so it doth in assise yet it is there said that attaint doth not lye after a Writ of inquirie of waste for it is but an inquest of office But there it is said that if the iudgement be a nihil dicit there a quod ci deforceat lyeth not for that is after appearance and is not a iudgement per defaultam And note there that if Tenant for life make default after default and he in the reuersion is receiued and plead to issue and it is found by verdict for the Demandant the default and the verdict are causes of the indgement and yet the Tenant shall haue a quod ●i defor●e●t vide Dod. fol. 556. more est quod ei deforceat 33. Hen. 6. 46. Littleton saith that Tenant for life or in taile may haue a quod ei deforciat as well vpon disseisen done to them as vpon recouery against them by default for before West 2. there was a quod ei deforceat at Common And all is one whether it be brought vpon a disseisen or a recouery for neither Writ nor Declaration make any mention of any recouery and the Tenant may choose whether hee will plead the recouery or other matter in barre which if he doe the Demandant cannot vouch
acsi esset tenens Neither is nul tiel recouery a good plea prima facie saue only for the Demandant when the Tenant pleads a recouery by default 2. Edw. 4. fol. 11. Littleton stands to his old opinion that there was a quod ei deforciat at the Common law and hee would haue it maintainable still by one that hath cause to bring a formedone or an assize or writ of entry sur disseism But the Court séemes to wonder at his sayings and also at the first when Billing comes and demands oier del record for the Tenant in a quod ei deforceat the Court askes him quae intendes per ceo so that with question● of ad●iration they séeme plainly to reiect both opinions that there is any quod ei deforciat at the Common law giuen otherwise than vpon recouery by default and then the Tenant may plead ●ul tiel record for neither the writ nor the d●claration makes any mention of the recouery But Li●●leton comes once more 10. Edw. 4. fol. 2. and 〈◊〉 that once he brought a quod ei deforciat for his mother of lands which shee claimed to hold in Dower the Tenant said there was no record to 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 were lost by default And Littleton challenged the plea because it might be the 〈◊〉 was in a 〈◊〉 Baron by default in a Writ of right in which ●●●● quod ●● deforc●at lyeth and therein i● no record 〈◊〉 is a record by default ●he Tenant said there wa● neither record nor recouery where any 〈◊〉 by default appeared and this was holden a good plea per le● 〈…〉 And Littleton relinquished his suit 44. Edw. 3. fol. 42. A quod ei deforciat was brought against the heire of one which recouered in an assize hee prayed the plea might stay for his non age and vouched to warranty W. N. c. the voucher was allowed but not his age because he might not haue had it in his first Action So that it appeares this writ lyes vpon recouery in assize and the Tenant may vouch But by Thorpe if it had béene the party himselfe which recouered he could not haue vouched Et mirum saith Brooke that vpon a recouery in assize which is by iury and not by default this writ should be And if yée looke this booke at large yée shall finde againe that this writ and the procéeding in it is méerly by the Statute vpon a recouery by default therefore a quod ei deforciat lieth and that vpon a recouery by default in a quod ei deforciat As 13. Edw. 1. a woman recouered in a Writ of Dower by default against Tenant for life of rent and afterward the Tenant which lost by default brought a quod ei deforciat against the woman and she lost by default and then sued a quod ei deforciat c. This is the highest Writ which these particular tenants can haue of their owne possession as it were their writ of right and it lieth against him which is Tenant though he be not party to the recouery as against the feofée of him which recouered But it lyeth seldome or neuer for a stranger to the recouery Yet 41. Edw. 3. fol. 30. the Baron and Feme ioyned in a quod ei deforciat of lands lost by the Feme before marriage bene And by Belknap it lyeth vpon a recouery in a sciri facias and it lyeth without shewing the record The Tenant in this Writ whether it be he which recouered or his alienée shall not haue view 41. Ed. 3. 8. If a man lose by default in a writ of right brought in a Court Baron he may remoue the record and haue a quod ei deforciat in the Common place and quaere saith Fitzherbert if he neuer remoue the record if he then may not sue his quod ei deforciat in which Court hée will either the common place or the Court Baron He agréeth if a woman lose by default and then marrie she and her husband may haue this Writ but if Tenant in tail● lose by default and dye his heire must sue a Formedon for that is his Writ of right If lands be giuen to Baron and Feme in especiall taile the remainder to the Baron in generall taile and the wife die sans issue now if the Baron lose by default in a Praecipe quod reddat his writ of Quod ei deforceat must be Quod clamat tenere sibi haeredibus de corpore suo for so soone as the wife died the state apres possibility drowned in the remainder 50. Ed. 3. fol. 4. If in a Scire facias brought in Chancerie by an heire of full age to auoyd indowment assigned in Chancerie whilest he was ward he recouer by default the woman may haue a Quod ei deforceat in Commune Banco So likewise if a man recouer land by default in Scire facias out of some record in the Kings Bench the Tenant which lost by default may sue a Quod ei deforceat in the Common Place If two coparceners tenants in taile lose by default they may ioyne in a Quod ei deforceat yet the default of one is not the default of the other 46. Ed. 3. in Fitzherbert Nat. Breu. Brooke hath it also A Quod ei deforceat brought by two men heires in taile of Gauill kinde Quam clama● sibi tenere haeredibus de corporibus exeuntibus was awarded good though they could haue none issue of their two bodies 46. Ed. 3. 21. If tenant for life or in taile appeare in a Praecipe quod reddat and afterward depart in despite of the Court he shall lose the land but yet he may recouer by Quod ei deforceat for the recouerie is by default for that he doth not appeare when he is demanded But if tenant for life or in taile after the mise ioyned in writ of right depart in despite of the Court they shall lose the land and not haue a Quod ei deforceat for the Iudgement is finall If Baron and Feme seised in droit le feme for her life lose by default in a Praecipe quod reddat they may haue a Quod ei deforceat by Fitzherbert which is denied in the old Nat. Breu. 155. If tenant for life lose by a default in a C●ssauit he shall haue a Quod ei deforceat by this Statute of West 2. If ●e in reuersion vpon default of tenant for life pray to bée receiued plead and lose by action tried yet the tenant for life may haue a Quod ei deforceat for the Iudgement must be against him by his default If in a Praecipe quod reddat the Tenant vouch and the ●ouchee will not appeare so that the Tenant loseth by default of the Vouchée Fitzherbert makes it a question whether hee may haue a Quod ei deforceat or no because the Iudgement is not giuen vpon the tenants owne default But cléere it is if the Vouchée appeare enter into Warrantie and lose
by default that now the Tenant shall not haue a Quod ei deforceat but Iudgement to recouer in value against the Vouchée If Baron and Feme t●nants for life in the wiues right lose by default and the Baron dye a Quod ei deforceat lieth not but a Cui in vita as vpon a Demise made by the baron In a Quod ei deforceat the Demandant must count that he was seised c. in his Demesne as of Francktenement or in his Demesne as of Fée tail● laying the Esplees in himselfe but he néeds not shew of whose gift lease or demise though he claime for life or she claimes in Dower or sibi haeredibus de corpore And the Defendant must deny the Demandants right c. and shew how he recouered in a Formedon or in some other Action concluding that he is ready to maintaine his right a●d title aforesaid c. vnde petit iudici●m Then the Demandant must either trauerse it or shew matter in barre but he shall not make defence and then plead inbarre as he shall doe in a Formedon Fi●zh 10. Ed. 4. fol. 2. Dictum f●●t and the tenant may plead a release of all the Demandants right in a Quod ei deforceat But the old Nat. Breu. obserueth that if the Demandant vouch●one that entreth into Warrantie hee which recouered shall not plead the Vouchées release made after recouerie In a Quod ei deforceat the Tenant may vouch and so may the Demandant 50. Ed. 3. 25. But if the Demandant vouch his Vouchée cannot vouch ouer 10. H. 7. 39. The old N●t B●eu acknowledgeth that in a Scire f●cias there lies no oucher yet if a man recouer by default in a ●c●re facias out of a sine against Tenant in taile which bringeth a Q●od ei de●orceat if the Recouerer maintaine the title of his first Writ the Tenant in taile may vouch The Law séemes to be otherwise sée Plow 11● 206. 14. H. 7. 18. The questions arose vpon the Demandants vouching 10. H. 7. fol. 10. The first whether he must shew cause of the Warrantie or no. The second whether hée may vouch one that hath nothing in the reuersion The third whether he shall recouer in value Frowicke answered The Voucher is by Statute and hee néeds not shew any cause for the Statute of W. 2. cap. 3. saith Concedatur ei quod vocet ad warrant ac si esset tenens in priori breue in which case he should shew no Déed Second hée shall not vouch any stranger for the Statute is Ideo concedatur eis quod vocen●ur ad warrantum quia non possunt sine his ad quos spectat reuersio respondere Third the Statute giuing voucher meanes that he shall haue the effect of his vouching id est to recouer in value And if a Statute giue action for a thing whereof the action did not lye at Common Law the partie shall haue iudgement processe and execution incident or belonging to that action and a reuersion is a cause of voucher and of recouerie in value Frowicke said fu●ther That though he which leased cannot disclaime yet his Grantee may and award his charge and if voucher here should be no more but an aid prayer the Grantée might not disclaime for if Tenant for life pray in aid of him in reuersion hée shall not disclaime And Tenant by the courtesie cannot vouch for he shall neuer recouer in value SECT XXVII Admonition for women to take heed of him in the reuersion THe rest of this fourth booke shall consist most in warnings to widdowes and women tenants in ●articular estates that they doe nothing preiudiciall to their warrant It is true for the most part Ex quibus rebus maxima vtilitas ex ii●dem summa pernicies Water washeth and drowneth fire reasteth and it burneth the Sunne ripeneth and it scortcheth and seareth They that can help can hurt The reuersioner of a widdowes estate of whom she shall haue aid to defend her shall take her estate from her in many cases if she offend him in his reuersion SECT XXVIII Of Waste EVen by the antique Law of England if Bracton say truth fol. 316. The Gardian in Chiualrie committing waste did lose the wardship was auerred Et damna restaurabat But if Tenant in Dower committed waste there was no forfeiture of her land or parcell of it but he in reuersion might stop and let her from doing waste and such hinderance was no Disseisen Also he might haue if néed required a Non permittas to the Sheriffe commanding him not to suffer waste vendiction or exile in lands tenements houses woods garden c. and he might haue attachment against the widdowes or a Pone per vadios saluos plegios to make her come c. shew why shée committed waste If the waste in a wood were found by Inquisition the paine was no more but that from thenceforth shée should take no manner of Estouers either to build burne or inclose but it must be per visum forestarior●m haeredis And Bracton sets forth the W●●● for placing and appointing of the F●r●e●cor or by the heire ad praedict ' 〈…〉 custodiendum But now by the Stat. of Gloc. cap. 5. A writ of waste lyeth against Tenant in the courtesie or for life or for yeares or in Dower and the partie attainted in waste shall lose the thing wasted and make grée to trebble value of so much as the value shall be taxed at This Statute made 6. Ed. 1. ordaineth also that the Gardian which loseth his wardship for committing waste shall render dammages if losse of wardship be not equiualent to the harme Peraduenture Bracton wrote after the Statute for in one part of his Booke Ed. 1. is named ● 3. But it is said Sir Edw. C●kes 3. Rep. fol. 40. a. that Glanuile wrote temps H. a. Bracton temps H. 3. Britton temps Ed. 1. and in Sir Edw. Cokes 8. Rep. in Iohn Webs case fol. 46. b. he saith that Bracton wrote in fine del Roy H. 3. and Fleta wrote in temps E. 1. But note a woman shall not answer for waste done before her time yea if land bée leased to Baron and Feme for terme of their liues and they commit waste if the Baron die now the widdow is not punishable for this waste For that which the Baron did during couerture was only his act and offence dead and determined with his person Concessum per curiam 2. H. 4. and Br. 59. in his Writ of waste Yet if the lease had beene made to a Feme sole who takes a husband which commits waste otherwise it is by 9. H. 6. 52. women need no further warning to take héed of waste they are of themselues so hauing SECT XXIX The Writ of Entrie in casu prouiso BVtlet e●●●rie good woman take héed how she maketh any gift or alienation of such lands as she holdeth in Dower For Glocest cap. 3. is if a woman sell or
to be recouered after the first day of December next comming in the forme aforesaid should appertaine to enter into all and euery of the Premisses and peaceably to possesse and enioy the same in such manner and forme as he or they should haue done if no such discontinuance warranty or recouery had beene had or made And if any of the said husbands and women or any other seised or that shall be seised to the vse o● them of the estate afore specified after the said first of December doe make or cause to be made or suffer any such discontinuance alienations warranties or recoueries in forme aforesaid that then it shall be lawfull to the person or persons to whom the said manors lands and tenements should or ought to belong after the decease of the woman to enter into the same and to possesse and enioy them according to such title and interest as they should haue had in the same if the woman had béene dead no discontinuance warranty nor recoueries had as against the said husband during his life if the discontinuance alienation warranties and recoueries he hereafter had by or against the same husband and woman during Couerture and espousals betwixt them ●●●uided that the said women after the decease of their said husbands may reenter and enioy c. according to their first estate And ouer this it is enacted that if the woman at the tune of such discontinuance alienation recouery warranty c. besole that then shee shall bee barred and excluded of her title and interest in the same from thenceforth and the person or persons to whom the title interest and possession of the same should belong after the womans decease shall immediately after the discontinuance alienation warranty and recouery enter possesse and enioy the same Manors Lands c. according to his or their title Prouided that this Act extend not to auoid any recouery discontinuance or warranty after the forme aforesaid heretofore had made or suffered but only where the husband and wife or either of them now being aliue or any other to their vse now haue title and Interest to the said Manors c. or take the issues and profits to their vse● Prouided also that this Act extend not to any recouery or discontinuance where the heire next inheritable to the woman or ●e or they that next after ●er deat● should haue estate of inheritance c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or agréeing to the re●●uerie● where ●he same ass●ent and agréement is of record or inrowled Prouided also that it shall bee lawfull to euery woman being ●ol● or married after the death of her first husband to giue s●ll discontinue c. for terme of her life only after the course of the common Law SECT XXXIV The Exp●sition BEfore this Statute if Tenant in Dower had aliened in fée with warranty and dyed the warranty discending vpon him in reuersion had barred him for against collaterall warranty of Tenant in Dower or for life the Statute of Gloucester cap. 3. determined nothing L●●●●eton fol. 164. He addeth that if the heire were vnder age both at time of alienation and also when the warranty discended hée should hee at no preiudice by this collaterall warranty But if he wore vnder age at time of the alienation and came afterward to full age during the womans life and neuer entered then perchance hee should be barred This was Law when Littleton wrote and had continued so aboue two hundred yéeres and during the raigne of nine Kings after the making of Glocester cap. 3. which Statute Dyer comparing with the later he reputes the last cruell against women for by this A●t of 11. Hen. 7. all alienations recoueries releases and warranties of Tenant in Dower or ●oynture of the husbands lands are of no strength And where Glocester alloweth Tenant by the curtesie to alien with warranty and assets this from women is cleane taken away this he saith is vn case fort dure That if a woman ●oyntresse in taile whose warranty is lincall to her heires doe ali●n and leaue assets yet the heire may enter Therefore hee is of the minde that this Statute being rigoro●s of it selfe ought to receiue a stre●t and litterall interpretation fol. 148. But Stamford Browne Brook e●po●●ded these words giuen by the Ancestors to bée intendible of all manner of assurances for money or otherwise There are two Cases in Plowden that in●ued great Argraments vpon this Statute The first is betwixt Winibishe and Falbo●es a man enf●offed diuers persons to the vse of himselfe and his wise in speciall taile before the Statute of 27. He● 8. of vses and after the Statute the husband died a stranger recouered in a formedone per ment deduc the first day by couin and vpon false ti●le he to whom the title appertained after the womans death entred and the entry wa● adiudged lawfull though hee could not haue Iudgement for a default in the pleading and that was want of certainty in his replication and not shewing how he was heire or the party to whom the entry was giuen by the Statute The greatest matter vpon the Statute obiected to inforce a proofe that the widdow which suffered the recouery was not bound by this Act was that she held not ioyntly with her husband any lands or tenements but only shée was seised of an vse in taile for they tooke it cleare on all pa●ts that the case came into consideration as if the Act of 27. had not béene made and that seemes to bee directly within the letter of the Lawes But Montague chiefe Iustice shewing how greatly the marriage of women and their aduancement by it is respected in Law as appeareth by the Writ of ●a●●a matr●mo●i● prolo●●●i and the ●●i ante diu●rtium taken by equity of West 2. cap. ● and also by that that where donées in frankemarriage are diuorced the woman shall haue all the lands a●●irmeth it to bee reason against such women thus fauored and who abuse such fauors as the Law bestowes vpon them and will be of Couin and Fa●●ity to impaire their deceased husbands inheritance and disinhe it their heires to construe this Law for their co●●●●tion for the Law-makers of the statute were bent extremely against them though it be penall in some sort o●it sel●e And so it was agreed that if the widdow were not within the words yet she was within the intent and meaning of this Statute The other case was this betwixt Eiston and Stud. Baron and Feme le●ied a fine of l●nds of the wiues inheritance taking backe an estate in ta●le the remainder to the right heires of the wife the question was whether the woman after her husbands death might alien without danger of this Statute adiudged that she might because shée was cleare without the intent and meaning of the Act For whatsoeuer the words import the matter that this Statute aimed was and is to restraine women which haue Ioyntures procéeding originally from their husbands or
second branch of the Statute shall bee expounded father or mother after the death of the father And it was resolued in that Case that there bee two manners of custodies or wardships the one by the Common Law the other by the Statute And that also at the Common Law there are foure manners of Gardians namely Gardian in Chiualry Gardian in So●age Gardian in nature and Gardina for nurture and now the Statute makes a new Gardian namely by assignation but the mother in that case cannot be Gardian for nurture because her daughter was past 14. yéeres of age But she had the custody of her within the prouis●on of the Act ●ure naturae and the assent of Raph Ratcliffe the mothers husband was not materiall for the custody of a child is an inseparable incident to the parent and marriage may not transferre that to a husband And that was resolued that although the issue was whether Elizabeth had the custody of Martha at the time of the contract and that did appeare that shee departed from her mothers house six houres before the contract yet in iudgement of Law her mother had the custody of her at the time of the contract And that was resolued that in that Case Edward Ratcliffe and Martha his wife had good title to the land against Andrewes and his wife for the one daughter as that Case is shall not take benefit of forfeiture of the other for the statute giues the forfeiture to the next of kin to whom the inheritance should descend or come after her decease during the life of such person that so shall contract matrimony so that first hee ought to be of the bloud and secondly to whom the inheritance should descend or come c. and although the wife of Andrewes bee of the bloud yet in that Case by the death of Martha the land if shee hath issue shall deseend to her issue and if shee hath not issue that shall reuert to her mother c. but iudgement was against the Plaintiffe for that the issue was found against him These are the Lawes whereby rapes and rauishments of women are repressed which if they bee well looked vnto will proue that there is now no cause why lying L●onicus Chalcondilus should be beleeued who writing of Englishmen affirmeth that we haue no care what becomes of our wiues and children That in our peregrinations and trauels wee interchange and vse one the others wiues mutually That we count it no reproch by whom soeuer our wiues or daughters bee got with ●hild That with vs if a man come to his friends house hee must lye with his wife the first thing that he doth vt deinde benigue hospitio accip●arur And though some of the last recited Lawes were vnmade when Chalcondilus did write aboue one hundred yéeres since yet there were then Lawes enough to proue him a déepe lyer and had hée ●éene in England to haue trussed him vp too perhaps for lechery had his learning steaded him no better than his honesty this is no lesse cause why I should be thus bitter against Chalcondilus a dead man for that it may séeme he wrote by hearesay nullo odio gentis and in other matters hee reporteth honourably of vs. But it is strange that a man writing not a great while since but euen the other day not at Athens neither at Rome or Reams where they vse to belie vs head and foot but here at London should be bold to wr●te and put in print matter to this effect That beggers and the poorest sort of our women we doe vse to punish and to whip them when they are taken for leachers and dishonest liuers But Gentlewomen and Ladies of honour and worship they are neuer p●nished for incontinency but rather for their amorous wantonnesse and lubricity the more estéemed and magnified This follow deserueth plainly better to bee hanged than to bee beléeued For neither is it true that any wom●n with vs can better her reputation by dissolute life and manners Neither can any woman learne a more deuillish lesson than so to be perswaded And seeing the Lawrs themselues declare what detestation they haue of bruitish concupiscence by punishing consent with l●sse of inher●tance I would I could perswad all women to eschew not only these gulfes but also the ecclesiasticall Censures which I meddle not with together with the ●●●●my which they purchase sometime with outward la●●●●iousnesse from the report of them which iudge a care●●ss● liberty in behauiour an infallible argument of sensuality whereby some men haue béene imboldened to offer ●or●● because they thought it was expected SECT XXIX Appeal● of rape NOw let vs consider a little how these Lawes 〈◊〉 to bee put in practice if any virgin widdow or ●●gle woman be rauished shee her selfe may sue an Appeale of rape prosecute the fe●on to death and the King●●●●don as it séemeth cannot helpe him If a Feme co●●●● be rauished shee cannot haue an Appeale without her husband as appeares 8 Hen. 4. fol. 21. But if a Feme ●ouert be rauished and confent to the rauisher the husband alone may haue an Appeale and this by the Statute 6. Rich. 2. cap. 6. The husband that this Statute speaketh of which may sue the Appeale must be a lawfull husband in right and possession for ne vnques accouple in loyall matrimony is a good plea against ●im 11. Hen. 4. fol. 13. So doth Iustice Stanford affirme the booke to proue without question and that the Law is so too where Appeale is brought by Baron and Feme Brooke abridging the case 11. Hen. 4. séemeth to incline to the contrary opinion The case at length is thus Thomas Hausegle s●●th Appeale de rauishment sa feme against Thomas V. and others according to the Statute 6. Rich. 2. rehea●●●●● in his Declaration the order of the Statute and that they had rauished her against the forme of the said 〈◊〉 The Appell●●● said the Plaintiffe had another Writ hanging returnable the same tearme of the same rape and because the Writ was not serued he had obtained a sicut alias Ergo this Writ of the same nature should abate Ha●●said he might pursue which Writ ●e would And by their writ a Praecipe quod reddat or an Assise for the like cause shall abate for of one land a man cannot haue two recoueries But in this case it may bee there were two rapes at seuerall times c. and also the first Writ was not entred in the roll nor the ●●cut alias in the Record then the Declaration was challenged as insufficient because it was ●elonice rapuit and not carnaliter cognouit but to that it was answered that felonious rape implied carnall knowledge for rape without such knowledge is buttrespasse Another exception to the Declaration was that two had rauished as principall c. which Rolfe said could not be therefore the Plaintiffe ought to haue declared against one as principall and against the other as accessary or
learning he insisteth vpon his Writt of Consultation adding that if he die which made the promise the other may sue in Court Christian against the Executor or Executors of Executors 22. ass pla 70. is thus vpon Contract had betwixt two men that if one of them will marry the others Daughter hee shall haue ten pound c. the ten pound after Marriage must be demanded in the Kings Court because the promise was not with his Daughter in Marriage but by Couenant that he should c. But if he had promised the money with his Daughter in Marriage it must haue béene demanded in Court Christian And if a man promise vpon his faith to pay ten pound the Ordinarie cannot compell him to pay it but he may enioyne corporall penance vnlesse the promiser will voluntarily redéeme it Thus teacheth Iustice Thorpe in declaration of the Statute of circumspecte agatis 45. Ed. 3. fo 24. The Demandant declares vpon a couenant betwixt him and the Defendant that if he married the Daughter of the defendant hee should haue an hundred pound c. It was moued that this demand of debt vpon a Couenant concerning Matrimony was not good but the matter concerned the Court Christian per articulos cleri Notwithstanding because the demand was vpon a déed and a written déed maketh a lay couenant the defendant was compelled to answer But 14. of Ed. 4. fo 6. in an action of debt the Plaintiffe declares that he had married the Defendants daughter vpon agréement of twenty pound to be paid c. and all the Iudges of the common pleas without tarrying the Defendants answer awarded que le plaint prist rieu person brief for the demand is say they of the same nature with the espousals viz. ius spirituale and determinable no where but in Court Christian and yet the Booke of assises was there remembred 15. Ed. 4. fo 32. the plaintiffe in a Writt of debt demanding fiue markes declares vpon a couenant quod not● for fiue pound where he had marryed c. and 33. pound fiue shillings foure pence was paid but the residue being 5. Marks the defendant denyed to pay yet I care not saith Catesoy though he be discharged for I know well enough that vpon such a matter the action lieth not at common Law quod fui● concessum per curiam And the cause alledged was that there was not quid for quo 17. Ed. 4. fo 5. The master of the Rowles asketh the Iustices of the Common pleas if a man promise money to another to marry his daughter or seruant which marrieth her accordingly whether an action of debt will lye at the common Law or no No saith Townsend for it is but a nude promise of no more effect then if I promise you 20. pound to build you a new Chamber and ex nudo pacto non oritur actio But if I promise you sixe shillings euery wéeke for the bording of I. S. here is quid for quo for law intendeth here that I haue aduantage and profit by the seruice of I. S. But further in your case the thing that is to bee done is spirituall which cannot bee sold neither can the party be compelled to doe it Rogers and Siliard were contrary to him in opinion That a promise vpon Marriage is no ●●dum pactum because the daughter cousin or friend is by intendment aduanced And if I promise a Schoole-master money to teach my childe he shall haue action of Debt Likewise if I promise a Surgeon money to heale a poore mans wound or a Labourer money to mend a high-way But in the end Choke Little●on agréed with the Master of the Rowles that in the case by him propounded none action lyeth at common Law because Matrimony whereupon the promise is founded is a thing spirituall and by no manner of meanes vendable 19. Ed. 4. fo 10. in an action of debt brought vpon such a bargaine Collow saith it is true a man must demand a woman contracted to him in the spirituall Court but money is a temporall thing And when a Parson of a Church is to recouer tythes he must sue in Court Christian but if he sell his tythes when they be seuered hee shall sue for the money in the Kings Court but then and afterward in the same or like case 20. of Ed. 4. fo 3. Bryan asketh him then to what end serueth the Statute that things touching Matrimony and Testaments must be tryed in Courts Christian cui des vous quam vous purres achate les Sacraments Sir saith Neale dismes are a thing spirituall but if a Parson of a Church lease his Tythes hee must sue for the rent in a temporall Court and Collow stands to it that per emptionem venditionem res spirituales efficiuntur temporales he neuer spake a truer word in his life Out of these opinions consorting together like harpe and harrow may be gathered this sure learning That hee which will wed shall doe well and according to the Statute of circumspecte agatis to take as much as he can of his wiues marriage money before hand with faire Indentures or good obligation for the residue And by the aboue-said Bookes as also by M. Plowden in that case he may haue action of debt for euery déed sealed and deliuered carrieth sufficient consideration to wit the will of him that made it Concerning the old scruple though money be a visible signe of inuisible grace Sacramentall and Spirituall specially if it be in Angels yet I trust it is not more spirituall then the woman her selfe with whom it is promised And as there is no question made but a man may sue in Court Christian for his lawfull wife vnlawfully taken and witholden vpon which suite if a prohibition be granted a consultation may be had for procéedings quatenus p●r restitutione vxoris duntaxat prosequitur c. So by Fitzherbert in his Writt of Consultation an Action may be brought at Common Law de vxore abducta cum bonis viri or an action of trespasse for taking onely of the Wife But for a cleare proofe that in these promissions of money vpon Marriage neither the money is any Ghost nor the promise any nudum pactum Sée the case 10. Eliz. Dyer 272. An Action of the Case was brought vpon promise of twenty pound made to the Plaintiffe in consideration that at speciall Instance and request of the Defendant he had married his Cousin this was a good cause of action in the Queenes Court although the Marriage were celebrated and perfected before the assumption because the Nuptialls did ensue the Defendants request And as Lands may bee giuen in Franke marriage after the Espousals and yet the Espousals be cause and consideration of the gift so may money be promised after Espousals and yet the Espousals be cause of the promise But Reader be not confident of the Law in that Case of Dyer for I haue séene a report of a Case betwéene Sandill Plaintiffe and
Ienny Defendant entred in Banco Regis Hillar 2. Iacobi Rot 571 where the Plaintiffe declared that the Defendant in consideration that the Plaintiffe had formerly married his Daughter at his speciall request the Defendant promised the Plaintiffe to pay him euery yéere during the life of the Defendant ten pound c. and as my report saith the Plaintiffe vpon non assumpsit pleaded had verdict and iudgement in the Kings Bench but vpon a writ of error in Exchequer Chamber the Iudgement was reuersed for that the Marriage was executed before the promise made and yet the declaration supposed that the Defendant requested the Plaintiffe to Marriage c. But let me not run so farre from my Tert as neuer to finde the way backe againe A man may sue for Marriage money in his owne name onely and so is it generally where that which is in demand or to be recouered commeth méerely and onely to the Baron Example 43. Ed. 3. fo 8. The Earle of Arundell brought a Writt of Trespasse against one for chasing in a free Chace that he held in right of his Wife and the Writt awarded good though the Wife were not named in it because nothing was to be recouered by damages Likewise is it if the Baron bring a Writt of Trespasse for strayes taken in Lands holden in right of his Wife And eod anno fo 26. for breaking of a house and carrying away of timber the Husband alone shall haue the action because hee may when hee list pull downe a house or sell timber standing vpon his Wiues Inheritance or make a release to any body vpon such manner of trespasse and the Wiues action is gone for euer There is also the same yeare fo 16. another Case wherein because a decies tantum was brought by Baron and Feme the Writt abated for though the first action concerned the Wiues Interest yet nothing is to be recoueredin a decies tantum but damages c. Sée the Booke of 20. H. 6. fo 1. a Writt of maintenance wherein nothing is recouerable but damages was brought by Baron and Feme vpon maintenance in a bill of fresh force against them by the better opinion they might ioyne c. And the Defendant passeth Ouster but not by award 41. Ed. 3. f. 9. a Writ of Champertie brought by the Baron onely vpon an assise which had passed against him and his wife was allowed good notwithstanding exceptions taken of the wiues Interest c. vpon the reasons before expressed And by Finch if a man haue a Ward in right of his Wife Dower shall be demanded against him onely because the gard is a Chattell vested But if a Writt of Wardship be to be brought it shall be against the Baron and feme c. because of voucher And in trespasse if the Plaintiffe recouer against Baron and Feme by false verdict they both must wyne in the attaint for that must be according to the record 46. Ed. 3. fo 20. a man brought a Writt of rauishment de gard declaring vpon a possession iure vxoris and the Writ held good yet in this case there is more then damages to be recouered for the Plaintiffe shall haue the Infant restored by the very words of his Writt But there againe it was agréed that an action to recouer a Ward must be against them both because of voucher though in a writt of Dower it be vt supra because therein there is no voucher c. If Baron and Feme sell the Wiues Inheritance by fine for twenty pound an action of debt for the money shall bee brought by the Baron onely for the grant was onely the Barons grant and if he die the Executors shall haue the action and not the Feme 48. Ed. 3. fo 18. And a reple●●n must bee brought by the Baron onely because a Feme Couert cannot haue a propertie in any goods or Chattels But for such goods as the Wife hath as Executrix it séemeth the Baron and Feme may ioyne in ar pleuen so shall they for goods of the Wife taken dum sola fuit Fitz. in the title reception In trespasse at Common Law or vpon the Statute Anno 5. Rich. 2. the Baron alone shall haue action of trespasse and so likewise for taking away Charters concerning the Wiues inheritance So is it if he alone deliuer such Charters he alone may haue action against the Bayliffe c. But a Writt of Detinue of Charters of the Wiues inheritance must be sued by both c. because the Charters themselues are to be recouered And therefore vpon recouery of them the Baron and Feme must ioyne for recouery A quare impedit was brought 50. of Ed. 3. fo 13. and the Baron declared of an agréement betwixt thrée Sisters to present by turne to a Church whereof they had the Aduousan and this was the turne of his Wife c. The Defendant demands Iudgement of the Writt because the Wife being still aliue was not named but this Writt also was awarded good because nothing was to be recouered here but onely the Presentment and not the Aduousan And if a Writt should be awarded to the Bishop against the Baron the Wife thereby should not be out of possession because she is not partie to the Iudgement besides that she is ayded by West 2. cap. 3. And for a generall rule where the Husbands release is good the action may be brought in his name onely as vpon cutting of trées grasse Corne c. And such actions may be brought in the name both of the Husband and the Wife An assise of ●arraigne presentment is a mixt action and the Aduousan it selfe shall be recouered in it therefore of necessity it must be brought both by Baron and Feme 15. Ed. 4. fo 9. The Baron Seignior in right of his wife ioyned in a writt of rescous and it was argued that he alone ought to haue brought the writt But it was awarded well brought by them both Though per Littleton it were good enough in nosme le Baron tantum And per Pigot when an obligation is made to Baron and Feme the Baron alone may haue the action or they may ioyne ●adem lex in trespasse c. maintenance c. for alwayes where the action may suruiue to the wife the wife may ioyne in the writt They which shall read these two last Cases argued 50. Ed. 3. and 15. Ed. 4 in the yeares at large shall not néed to repent it SECT XLII When a Wife may sue or be sued alone IT is seldome almost neuer that a marryed woman can haue any action to vse her writt onely in her owne name her husband is her sterne her primus motor without whom the cannot doe much at home and lesse abroad But if her Huusband commit felonie take the Church and abiure the Realme she is now in case as a Widdow inabled to make alienation of her owne land as a Feme sole or to bring a cui in vita for