Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
life_n estate_n land_n tenant_n 4,546 5 9.9060 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A36230 Honors pedigree, or, The [se]veral fountaines of gentry [be]ing a treatise of the distinct degrees of the nobilitie of this kingdome, with their rights and priviledges, according to the lawes and customes of England / [by] that juditious lawyer, Sir John Dodoredge ... Doddridge, John, Sir, 1555-1628. 1652 (1652) Wing D1793; ESTC R37279 103,037 198

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

is no heire male at all that may claime the same for then doth this question take place whether the husband of such heire female shall enioy the dignitie in the right of his wife or no wherein wee are to rest upon a resolution had and given in this speciall question which was in this manner In the time of Hen. 8. when Mr. Winbie tooke upon him the stile of Lord Talboys in the right of his wife having none issue by her the said King assisted both by Civill and Temporall Lawyers gave sentence that no husband of Baronesse in her right should use the stile and dignitie untill he had by her a Child whereby he should become Tenant by the courtesie unto her inheritance The speciall reasons that occasioned this sentence were two First it should be inconvenient for her husband this day to bee a Baron and Peere of the Realme and to morrow by the death of his wife to become none and that without the death of the partie Secondly if he had issue by his wife and were intituled to be Tenant by the curtesie of England of the wives land if hee shall not also beare the stile and dignitie of her Barony then should his sonne after the death of his mother dying in the life time of his father bee Baron and Lord without land for so the Father should have the land as Tenant by the curtesie and the sonne the Lordship without Land And thus much said concerning the nature quality and estate of a Baron by writ and for resolution of the severall points and Articles of the question proposed may suffice Barons by Patent which is the third kind of Barons mentioned in the former division of Barons THere is also a fourth meanes of creation by act of Parliament but the first 2. mentiond and this by Patent are most for the honour of the King for thereby the donation doth proceed from his highnes onely as from the fountaine of all honour and dignity but when the creation is by Parliament every one may bee said donator Cookes 8. part 19. A Baron by creation by reason of Letters Patents is that Noble person whom the Kings Maiesty or any of his progenitors Kings of the Realme have created Barons by such their Letters Patents But this manner of creating Barons by Patent began in the Raign of R. 2. who created first Iohn Beauchamp of Holt Baron of Kidderminster by his Letters Patents 8. October anno 11. But Mils saith in 30. H. 6. this was brought in This kind of dignity of Baron shall bee of such countenance in discent or otherwise as shall beelimited in the Habendi in such Letters Patents contained for it may be but for the life of him to whom it is given or for terme de anter vie of some other mans life as some hold opinion in 9. H. 6. 29. for Cujus est dare eius est dispo●ere it may be in speciall a generall tayle and this kind of estate tayle was usuall before the Statute made 13. E. 1. by which estate tayle in Lands and Tenements was created as appeareth by the Patent whereby Hubert de Burgo was made Earle of Kent in the time of H. 3. by these words Habend sibi hered suis de corpore Ma●ga●etaeuxoris su● sororis Alexandri Regis Scoti● procreatis pro defectu talis exitus rema●ere rectis hered●bus dicti Huberti and that estates in tayle are at this day titles of honour by the Statute of Westm 2. vide Nevils case Cooks 7. part 33. For the better explanation of this kind of dignity the resolution also of certaine questions shall be very requisite Question If a Nobleman and his Progenitors have for a long time been called to the Parliament and be a Baron either by tenure or writ have had in regard thereof a place certaine in Parliament if afterwards the same Nobleman should be created a Baron of that Barony and by the same name by Letters Patents whether shall hee and his heires retaine his old place in Parliament which hee had according to the former dignity or whether shall he lose ●is old place and take a new place according to the time of his creation onely Answer The case of the Lord Delaware received a resolution Coo 11. part ●●e Lord de la wares case somewhat answerable to this question Tho. Lord Delaware 3. ● 6. being in some displeasure with William West his Nephew and heire who was Father to the now Lord De la ware procured an Act of Pa●liament by the which the said W●ll West was during his naturall life only clearly disabled to clayme demand or have any manner of right title or interest by discent ●evenue or otherwise in or to the mannor lands tenements or hereditaments title and dignity of Thomas Lord De la w●re his Vncle Af●er the said Thomas De la ware dyed and the said VVilliam West was in the time of the late Queene Elizabeth restored and afterwards in the 8. yeare of her Raigne was ●teated Lord De la ware by Patent and had place in Parliament according to his creation by Patent for that by the said Act of Parliament in the time of E. 6. hee was excluded to challenge the former ancient Ba●ony and after hee dyed whether the new Lord Dela ware should take his place to the ancient Barony by writ or according to his Fathers creation by Patent was the question the opinion of the late Queenes Counsell being Her Majesties Atturney Generall and Solicitor were that the acceptance of the new creation by the said William West could not distinguish the ancient dignity in him at the time of his creation but the dignity was at that time by the Act of Parl●ament 3. E. 6. in obeyance suspence or consideration of Law and hee thereby utterly disabled to have the same during his life only so as other acceptance could not extinguish that dignity which hee then had not nor could not conclude his h●ire who was not disabled by the said Act of 3. E. 6. to clayme the ancient Barony which opinion of theirs was seene and allowed by the resolution of the chiefe Iustice of England and Lord chiefe Baron and so signified unto the Lord Keeper but this is to bee noted by the reasons made for the said resolution that if the said William West had beene Baron and intituled or in possession of the ancient dignity when hee accepted the said creation the Law perchance might have been otherwise but that remayneth as yet unresolved neverthelesse the rule eodem mod quo quid constuitur dissolvitur but by grant which is made a matter in fact a man cannot transferre his title of honour Cook 7. part And thus much concerning the three degrees of Barons within this Realme may suffice to be said in gene●all upon this occasion for the better understanding and direction of that which followeth to be handled And in this place I thinke it not impertinent
not to have them learned in the Lawes nor to live by the practice thereof but onely upon their Fathers allowance vide Fortescue de landibus Anglorum cap. 49. But the Statute of An. 3 Iac. cap. 4. amongst other things it is enacted that if any Gentleman or Person of high degree shall hereafter goe or passe voluntarily out of this Realme to serve any forraine Prince State or Potentate before that hee or they shall become bounden with two sureties as shall bee allowed of the Officers by that act limited to take the said bond unto the King his Heires and Successours in the summe of twenty pounds of currant English money at the least with condition to the effect following hee shall bee a felon viz. That if the within Bounden c. shall not at any time then after bee reconciled to the Pope or Sea of Rome nor shall enter into or consent unto any practise plot or conspiracy whatsoever against the Kings Majesty his Heires and Successours or any of his or their estate or estates Realmes and Dominions but shall within convenient time after knowledge thereof had revealed and disclosed to the Kings Majesty his Heires and Successours or some of the Lords of his or their Privy Counsell all such practises plots and conspiracies and that then the said obligation to bee void c. Of Yeomen THe Yeomanry or Common people for they bee called of the Saxon word Zemen which doth signifie Common who have some lands of their owne to live upon for a carve of land or Plow land was in antient times of the yearely value of five Nobles and this was the living of a sober man or Yeoman Cookes 9. part fol. 124. b. But in our Lawes they are called Legales hom●nes a word very familiar in writs and inquests and by divers Statutes it hath beene enacted that none should passe in any inquest unlesse they had fourty shillings freehold in yearely revenues which maketh if the most value were taken to the proportion of moneyes above six pounds of our currant money at this present Sir Thomas Smith fol 30. and by the Statute of 27. Eliz. cap. 6. Iurours must have 4. l. in lands In the end of the Statute 23. H. 6. cap. 15. concerning the election of Knights for the Parliament it is expressely provided that no man shall bee such Knight which standeth in the degree of a Yeoman It appeareth in Lamberts perambulation of Kent that this Saxon word Telphinorman was given to the Theine or Gentleman because his life was valued at twelve hundred shillings and in those dayes the lives of all sorts of men were rated at certaine summes of money Telphinorman to the Chorle or Yeoman because the price of his head was taxed at two hundred shillings which thing if it were expressely set forth in sundry old Lawes yet extant might well enough bee found in the Etimologie of the words themselves the one called a Twelve hund as if it were a twelfe hundred And in this estate they please themselves and joy exceedingly insomuch as a man may find sundry Yeomen although otherwise comparable for wealth with many of the Gentle sort that will not yet for that change their condition nor desire to bee apparelled with the title of Gentry Lamberts esta●e of Kent names the Yeomanry of Kent when a Yeoman of 1000. l. yearely revenues and ref●sed any other superiour title but these are now no more heard of c. By the Common Law as may appeare in An. 1. E. 2. De militibus in An. 7. H. 6. 15. men that had lands of the yearely value of 28. l. were comp●llable at the Kings pleasure to take upon them the order of Knight-hood and upon summons there came a Yeoman who might dispend 100. markes per annum and the Court was in doubt how they might put him of and at last hee was wayved in because hee did come the second day An. 7. H. 6. fol. 15. a. By this sort of men the triall of causes in the Countrey proceedeth ordinarily for of them there are greater number in England then in any other place and they also of a more plentifull livelyhood and therefore it cometh that men of this Countrey are more apt and fit to discerne in doubtfull causes of great examinations and trials then are men wholly given to moyling in the ground to whom the rural● exercise engendreth rudenesse of wit and mind and many Franklins and Yeomen there are so neere adjoyning as you may make a Iury with little difficulty For there bee many of them which bee able to spend 100. l. a yeare vide Fortescue de landibus Anglorum c. As in ancient time the Senatours of Rome never elected a Censor and as with us in conserving of Nobility respect is had unto the Revenues by which their dignity and Nobility may bee supported and maintained Cookes 7. part 33. b. so the wisedome of this Realme hath of ancient provided that none shall passe upon Iuries for the trials of any matters reall or personall or upon any criminall cause but such as besides their moveables have lands of estate for life at the least to a competent value least for need and poverty such Iurours might easily bee corrupted and suborned Fortescue 56. b. And in all cases and causes the Law hath conceived a better opinion of those that have lands and tenements or otherwise are of worth in moveable goods presuming that such will commit or omit nothing that any way may bee prejudiciall to their estimations or which may endanger their estates then hath Labourers Artificers Retaylers or such like of whom Tully saith Nihil proficiunt in se adm●dum mentiuntur and by divers Statutes certaine immunities are given to men of quality which are deemed to the vulgar sort of people read hereof amongst other in An. 1. Iac. cap. 127. By the Statute of 2. H. 4. cap. 21. amongst other things it is enacted that no Yeoman should take or weare any livery of any Lord upon paine of imprisonment and to make fine and ransome at the Kings will FINIS
apparant of the King of England and of such a King who is heir unto the said Prince Edward And such a first begotten son and heir apparant to the Crown shall inherit the said Dukedom in the life of the said King his father with manner of limitation of estate was short excellent and curious varying from the ordinary Rules of the Common Law touching the framing of any estate of inheritance in fee-simple or fee-tail And neverthelesse by the authority of Parliament a speciall fee-simple i● in that onely case made as by judgment may appear in the Book aforesaid and the case thereof fol. 27. and 21 E. 3. 41. b. And ever since that creation the said Dukedom of Cornwall hath been the peculiar inheritance of the Kings eldest son ad supportandum nomen onus bonoris to support the name and weight of that his honourable estate during the king his fathers life so that he is ever Duxnatus non creatus a Duke born not created and the said Duke the very first day of his nativity is presumed and taken to be of full and perfect age so that he may sue that day for his livery of the said Dukedom and ought of right to obtain the same as well as if he had been full 21 yeers of age And the said Black-Prince was the first Duke in England after the Conquest for though Bracton who made his Book in H. 3. saith Et sunt sub reg●duces as before appeareth yet that place is to be understood of the ancient kings who were before the conquest for in Mag. Charta which was made in Anno 9 H. 3. we finde not the name of Duke amongst the Peers and Nobles there mentioned For seeing the Norman Kings themselves were Dukes of Normandy for a great while they adorned none with this honour of Duke And the eldest son of every King after this creation was Duke of Cornwall and so allowed As for example Henry of Munmouth eldest son of H. 4. and Henry of Winso● eldest son of H. 5. and Edw. of Westminster the first son of Ed. 4. and Arthur of Winchester first son of H. 7. and Edward of Hampton first son of H. 8. but Richard of Burdeaux who was the first son of the Black-Prince was not Duke of Cornwall by force of the said creation for albeit after the death of his father he was heir apparant to the Crown yet because he was not the first begotten son of a King of England for his father dyed in the life time of king Ed. 3. the said Richard was not within the limitation of the grant and creation by authority of Parliament made in the 11 yeer of king Edward above mentioned And therefore to supply that defect in the 5. yeer of Ed. 3. he was created Duke of Cornwall by a speciall Charter Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edw. 4. was not Dutches of Cornwal for she was the first begotten daughter of king Edw. 4. but the limitation is to the first begotten son Henry the 8. was not in the life of his father king H. 7. after the death of his eldest Brother Arthur Duke of Cornwall by force of the said creation for albeit he was sole heir apparant to the king yet he was not his eldest begotten son Cooks 8 part 29. b. and 30. a. And the opinion of Stamford a learned Judge hath been that he shall have within his Dukedom of Cornwall the kings Prerogatives because it is not severed from the Crown after the form as it is given for none shall be inheritour thereof but the kings of the Realm For example whereas by the Common Law if a man hold divers Mannors or other lands and to●ements of severall Lords all by knights service some part by priority and ancient Feoffment and other lands by posterity and by a latter Feoffment and the Tenant so seized dyeth his son and heir within age In this case the custody of Wardship of the body and his marriage may not be divided among all the Lords but one of them onely shall have right unto it because the body of a man is intire and the Law doth say That the Lord of whom some part of those lands be holden by priority and by the same tenure of Chivalry shall have it except the king be any of the Lords for them though the Tenant did purchase that land last yet after his death the king shall bee pre●erred before all or any other the Lords of whom the Tenant did hold by priority And so shall the Duke of Cornwall in the same case have the same Prerogative if his Tenant dye holding of him but by posterity of Feoffment for any tenure of his Dutchie of Cornwall although the said Duke is not seized of any particular estate whereof the reversion remaineth in the king for the Prince is seized in fee of his Dukedom as before is said Iohn of Gaunt the fourth son of king Edward 3. did take to wife Blanch who was daughter and heir to Henry Duke of Lancaster who had issue Henry afterwards king of England so that the said Dutchy of Lancaster did come unto the said Henry by discent from the part of his mother and being a subject he was to observe the Common Law of the Land in all things concerning his Dutchie For if he would depart in Fee with any part thereof hee must make livery and seizen or if hee had made a Lease for life reserving rent with a reentery for default of payment and the rent happen to be behind the Duke might not enter unlesse hee doe make a demand or if he had aliened any part thereof whilest he was with age hee might defeat the purchaser for that cause and if hee would grant a reversion of any estate for life or yeares in being there must also be Attornment or else the grant doth not take effect But after that hee had deposed King Richard the second and had assumed upon him the Royall estate and so had conjoyned his naturall bodie in the bodie Politique of the King of this Realme and so was become King Then the possessions of the Duchie of Lancaster were in him as King and not as Duke For the name of Duke being not so great as the name of a King was drowned by the name of King and by the State Royall in him who was Duke for the King cannot bee a Duke within his owne Realme but out of his Realme hee may And likewise the name of the Duchie and all the Franchizes Liberties and Jurisdictions of the same when they were in the hands of him who had the Crowne and Jurisdiction Royall were gone by th● Common Law and extinct for the greater doth distinguish the lesse and after those times the possessions of the Dutchie of LANCASTER would not passe from King Henry the fourth but by his Letters Patents under the great Seal of England without livery of seifin and without Attornment and if he make a Lease for life being Duke
of the Towne degree state condition or mysterie And when hee was named Cooke hee observed the Statute For hee hath named him by his name of mysterie and yet hee may be in that case an Esquire and a Cooke 14. H. 6. fol. 15. If a man be an Esquire or Gentleman only by office and lose his office hee then doth lose his gentry also 26. H. 6. Estopell 47. Note Esquire or Gentleman are but additions to satisfie the said Statute But names of dignity are parcell of the name vide Bro additions 58. 21. E. 4. 71. b. and therefore if a precipe quod reddat bee brought against A. B. yeoman and Recovery is had whereas the Iennant was a Gentleman yet the Recovery is good The same Law where a Release is made to A. B. yeoman who is a Gentleman and where addition is given by the Party where it needeth not by the law being no dignity it is void so if a deed be made to a Gentleman by the name of a yeoman For there is a great difference betweene deeds and writs Cooks 6. part a. If an Esquire be to be arraigned of high treason he may and ought to be tryed Per probos legales homines that may dispend 40. s. per An. of free-hold or bee a 100. l. in value in goods and so the Statute that doth speake of men of his condition hath alwayes beene put in ure Dyer 99. b. The King may make an Esquire by Patent in these words viz. creamus te Armigerum c. Note Mr. Sebden his Preface to his titles of honour 5. b. and 313. By the Statute of 21. H. 8. cap. 13. It is amongst other things enacted That the brethren and sonnes borne in wed-locke of every Knight being spirituall men may every of them purchase lycense and dispensation and receive take and keepe two parsonages or benefices with cure of soules The sonne or sonnes of any Knight is priviledged to keep a Grey hound or setting doge or nets to take Peasants or Patridges in though he cannot dispend x. l in his own right or in his wives right of an estate of inheritance or of the value of 30. l. of estate for life 1. Jac. cap. 17. The Definition of Gentry or civill Nobility GEnerous seemeth to be made of two words the one French Gentile honestus vel honesto natus the other Saxon mon as if you would say a man well borne and under this name are all comprised that are above yeoman so that Nobles are truly called Gentlemen by the course and custome of England Nobility is either Major or Minor Major containes all titles and degrees from Knights upwards Minor from all Barons downewards Gentlemen have their beginning either of blood as that they are borne of worshipfull parents or that they had expedited something worthy in peace or warre whereby they deserve to have armes and to be accounted Gentlemen But in these dayes he is a Gentleman who is so commonly taken and reputed Doctor Ridley 96. And whosoever lludieth in the Vniversities who professeth the liberall sciences and to be short who can live idly and without manuall labour and will beare the Port charge and countenance of a Gentleman he shall bee called Master For that is the title that men give to Esquires and other Gentlemen For true it is with us as one said Tanti eris aliis quanti tibifueris and ●● need be a King of Heralds shall give him for money armes newly made and invented with the Creast and all the title whereof shall pretend to have bin found by the said Herauld in the perusing and viewing of old Registers where his ancestors in time past had beene recorded to beare the same or if he will doe it more truly and of better faith hee will write that for the merits of and certaine qualities that he doth see in him and for sundry noble acts which he hath performed hee by the authority which he hath as King of Heralds in his Province and of armes giveth unto him and his heires these and these heroicall bearings in arms vide Smith de Republic Anglorum But some men of Iudgement make doubt and question whether this manner of making Gentlemen is to be allowed or no and it may seeme that it is not amisse For first the Province looseth nothing by it as hee should doe if hee were in France Reade Fortescue fol. 82. For the Yeoman or Husbandman is no more subject to toyle or tax in England then Gentlemen nay in every payment to the King the Gentleman is more charged which he beareth the more gladlier and dare not gainesay to save and keepe his honour and reputation in any shew or muster or other particular charge of the Towne where he is he must open his purse wider and augment his proportion above others or else he doth diminish his honour and reputation as for their outward shew a Gentleman if he will bee accounted he must goelike a Gentleman And if he be called to the warres hee must and will whatsoever it cost him array himselfe and arme his body according to the vocation that he pretendeth hee must also shew a more manlike courage and tokens of better education higher stomacke and bountifuller liberality then others and keepe about him idle servants who shall doe nothing but waite upon him so that no man hath hurt by it but himself who hereby perchance will beare a bigger sayle then he is wel ableto maintain For as touching the policy and government of the Common-wealth it is not those that have to doe with it which will magnifi● themselves and goe in higher Buskins then their estate but they who are to be appointed are persons tryed and well knowne In 25. Eliz. the case was that whereas it is required by the Statutes of 1. H. 5. cap. 5. That in every writ originall c in which an exigent shall be awarded that additions should bee given unto the Defendant of their estate and degree c. and the case was that one was a yeoman by his birth and yet commonly called and reputed a Gentleman and yet it was adjudged that a writ may bee brought against him with the addition of Gentleman For so much as the intention of the act is to have such a name given by which hee may be knowne this is sufficient to satisfie the law and the act of Parliament For nomen dicitur a noscendo quia natitiam facit Cook 6. part 65. and 67. a. But if a Gentleman bee sued by addition of Husbandman he may say hee is a Gentleman and demand Iudgement of the Writ without saying and not husbandman For a Gentleman may be a husbandman but hee shall be sued by his addition most worthy An. 14. H. 6. b. 15. For a Gentleman of what estate soever hee be although hee goe to plough and by common Law though he have nothing in his purse yet is a Gentleman and shall not be named in legall proceedings