judges hold in their circuit in

the execution

of their com

mission con

cerning the taking of nisi prius.

tain day appointed by the writ, which is the next term after, Nisi Prius justiciarii nostri ad assizas capiendas venerint, &c. of which words the writ is called a nisi prius, and the judges of the circuit of that county in that vacation and mean time before the day of appearance appointed for the jury above, here by their commission of Nisi Prius have authority to take the appearance of the jury in the county before them, and there to hear the witnesses and proofs on both sides concerning the issue of fact, and to take the verdict of the jury, and against the day they should have appeared above, to return the verdict read in the court above, which return is called a posten.

Postea.

And upon this verdict clearing the matter in fact, one way or other, the judges above give judgment for the party for whom the verdict is found, and for such damages and costs as the jury do assess.

By those trials called Nisi Prius, the juries and the parties are eased much of the charge they should be put to, by coming to London with their evidences and witnesses, and the courts of Westminster are eased of much trouble they should have if all the juries for trials should appear and try their causes in those courts; for those courts above have little leisure now; though the juries come not up, yet in matters of great weight, or where the title is intricate or difficult, the judges above upon information to them, do retain those causes to be tried there, and the juries do at this day in such causes come to the barat Westminster. The fifth commission that the judges is a commission in their circuits do sit by, is the commission of the peace in every county of their circuit. And all the justices of the peace, having no lawful impediment, are bound to be present at the assizes to attend the judges, as occasion shall call out; if any make default, the The justices of judges may set a fine upon him at their the Per fare to pleasure and discretions. Also the judges in their sheriff in every shire through the circounty. cuit is to attend in person, or by a sufficient deputy allowed by the judges, all that time they be within the county, and the judges may fine him if he fail, or for negligence or misbehaviour in his office before them; and the judges above may also fine the sheriff for not returning or not sufficient returning of writs before them.

Property in Lands is gotten and transferred by one to another, by these four manner of ways;

1. By Entry.

2. By Descent.

3. By Escheat.

4. Most usually by Conveyance.

Of property of

gained by entry.

All lands in

England ware

the Conquer

or's and appro

priated to him

upon the con

quest of Eng

land, and held

of him, except

1. Religious lands. 2. The

and church

lands of the

noen of Kent.

Land left by the sea belongeth to the king.

1. Property by entry is, where a man findeth a piece of land that no other lands to be possesseth or hath title unto, and he that so findeth it doth enter, this entry gaineth a property; this law seemeth to be derived from this text, terra dedit filiis hominum, which is to be understood, to those that will till and manure it, and so make it yield fruit; and that is he that entereth into it, where no man had it before. But this manner of gaining lands was in the first days, and is not now of use in England, for that by the conquest all the land of this nation was in the Conqueror's hands, and appropriated unto him, except religious and church lands, and the lands in Kent, which by composition were left to the former owners, as the Conqueror found them, so that no man but the bishopricks, churches, and the men of Kent, can at this day make any greater title than from the conquest to any lands in England; and lands possessed without any such title are in the crown, and not in him that first entereth; as it is by land left by the sea, this land belongeth to the king, and not to him that hath the lands next adjoining, which was the ancient sea banks. This is to be understood of the inheritance of lands; viz. that the inheritance cannot be gained by the first entry. But an estate for another man's life by out-laws may, at this day, be gotten by entry. As a man called A. having land conveyed unto him for the life of B. dieth without making any estate of it there, whosoever first entereth into the land after the decease of A. getteth the property in the land for time of the continuance of the estate which was granted to A. for the life of B. which B. yet liveth and therefore the said land cannot revert till B. die. And to the heir of A. it cannot go, for that it is not any state of inheritance, but only an estate for another man's life; which is not descendable to the heir, except he be specially named in the grant: viz. to him and his heirs. As for the executors of A. they cannot have it, for it is not an estate testamentary, that it should go to the executors as goods and chattels should, so as in truth no man can entitle himself unto those lands; and therefore the law preferreth him that first entereth, and he is called occupans, and shall hold it during the life of B. but must pay the rent, perform the conditions, and do no waste. And he may by deed assign it to whom he please in his life time. But if he die before he assign it over, then it shall

Y

Occupancy

Likewise if any man doth wrongfully enter into another man's possession, and put the right owner of the freehold and inheritance from it, he thereby getteth the freehold and inheritance by disseisin, and may hold it against all men, but him that hath right, and his heirs, and is called a disseisor. Or if any one die seised of lands, and before his heir doth enter, one that hath no right doth enter into the lands, and holdeth them from the right heir, he is called an abator, and is lawful owner against all men but the right heir. And if such person abator, or disseisor (so as the disseisor hath quiet possession five years next after the disseisin) do continue their possession, and die seised, and the land descend to his heir, they have gained the right to the possession of the land against him that hath right till he recover it by fit action real at the common law. And if it be not sued for at the common law within threescore years after the disseisin, or abatement committed, the right owner hath lost his right by that negligence. And if a man hath divers children, and the elder, being a bastard, doth enter into the land and enjoyeth it quietly during his life, and dieth thereof so seised, his heirs shall hold the land against all the lawful children and their issues.

Property of lands by descent is, Janls by de. where a man hath lands of inheritance, and dieth, not disposing of them, but leaving it to go (as the law casteth it) upon the heir. This is called a descent of law, and upon whom the descent is to light, is the question. For which purpose the law of inheritance preferreth the first child before all others, and amongst children the male before the female, and amongst males the first born. If there be no children, then the brother; if no brothers, then sisters; if neither brothers nor sisters, then uncles; and for lack of uncles, aunts; if none of them, then cousins in the nearest degree of consanguiOf descent, nity, with these three rules of diversithree rules, ties. 1. That the eldest male shall solely inherit: but if it come to females, then they, being all in an equal degree of nearness, shall inherit altogether, and are called parceners, and all they make but one heir to the ancestor. 2. That Brother or sis. no brother nor sister of the half-blood of the half shall inherit to his brother or sister, but brother or sister, as a child to his parents, as for exchild to his pa ample: If a man have two wives, and by either wife a son, the eldest son overliving his father is to be preferred to the inheritance of the father, being fee-simple; but if he entereth and dieth without a child, the brother shall not be his heir, because he is of the halfblood to him, but the uncle of the eldest brother or sister of the whole blood; yet if the eldest bro

father, either by such entry or conveyance, then the youngest brother should inherit the land tha the father had, although it were a child by the second wife, before any daughter by the first. The third rule about descents. That land purchased so by the party himself that dieth is to be inherited; first, by the heirs of the father's side; then, if he have none of that part, by the heirs of the mother's side. But lands descended to him from his father or mother are to go to that side only from which they came, and not to the other side.

Descent

Those rules of descent mentioned before are to be understood of fee simples, and not of entailed lands, and those rules are restrained by some particular customs of some particular Customs of car places; as, namely, the custom of tain paces. Kent, that every male of equal degree of childhood, brotherhood, or kindred, shall inherit equally, as daughters shall, being parceners; and in many borough towns of England, and the custom alloweth the youngest son to inherit, and so the youngest daughter. The custom of Kent is called gavelkind. The custom of boroughs, burgh English.

Every heir havbound by the binding acts of his ancestor

And there is another note to be observed in feesimple inheritance, and that is, that every heir having fee-simple land or inheritance, be it by common law or by custom of either gavelkind or burgh English, is chargeable so far forth as the value thereof extendeth with the binding acts of the ancestors from whom the inheritance descendeth; and these acts are collateral encumbrances, and the reason of this charge is, qui sentit commodum, sentire debet et incommodum sive onus. As for example, if a man bind himself and his heirs in an obligation, or dot covenant by writing for him and his heirs, or do grant an annuity for him if he be named. and his heirs, or do make a warranty of land, binding him and his heirs to warranty, in all these cases the law chargeth the heir, after the death of the ancestor, with this obligation, covenant, annuity, and warranty, yet with these three cautions: first, that the party must by special name bind himself and his heirs, or covenant, grant, and warrant for himself and his heirs, otherwise the heir is not to be touched. Secondly, that some action must be brought Dyer, 114. against the heir whilst the land or other Plowd. inheritance resteth in him unaliened away: for if the ancestor die, and the heir, before an action be brought against him upon those bonds, covenants or warranties, do alien away the land, then the heir is clean discharged of the burden, except the land was by fraud conveyed away of purpose to prevent the suit intended against him. Thirdly, that no heir is further to be charged Dyer, 149. than the value of the land descended Plowd. unto him from the same ancestor that made the

Day & Pepp's

case.

instrument of charge, and that land also not to be sold outright for the debt, but to be kept in extent, and at a yearly value, until the debt or damage be run out. Nevertheless if an heir that is sued upon such a debt of his ancestor do not deal clearly with the court when he is sued, that is, if he come not in immediately, and by way of confession set down the true quantity of his inheritance descended, and so submit himself therefore, as the law requireth, then that heir that otherwise demeaneth himself shall

Heir charged for his false plea.

be charged of his own lands or goods, and of his money, for this deed of his ancestor. As for example, if a man

bind himself and his heirs in an obligation of one hundred pounds, and dieth, leaving but ten acres of land to his heir, if his heir be sued upon the bond, and cometh in, and denieth that he hath any lands by descent, and it is found against him by the verdict that he hath ten acres, this heir shall now be charged by his false plea of his own lands, goods, and body, to pay the hundred pounds, although the ten acres be not worth ten pounds.

Property of lan is by es cheat.

Property of lands by escheat is where the owner died seised of the lands in possession without child or other heir, thereby the land, for lack of other heir, is said to escheat to the lord of whom it is holden. This lack of heir happeneth principally in two cases: first where the lands' owner

Two causes of es, hest.

I. fiastardy.

2. Allander of is a bastard. Secondly, where he is treason, felony. attainted of felony or treason. For neither can a bastard have any heir, except it be his own child, nor a man attainted of treason, although it be his own child.

Attainder of hensin en)tuleth the king, though lada be not holden of him, other wise in attainderf felony, &e. for there the king shall base but an stom diem et

Upon attainder of treason the king is to have the land, although he be not the lord of whom it is held, because it is a royal escheat. But for felony it is not so, for there the king is not to have the escheat, except the land be holden of him: and yet where the land is not holden of him, the king is to have the land for a year and a day next ensuing the judgment of the attainder, with a liberty to commit all manner of waste all that year in houses, gardens, ponds, lands, and woods.

the person to whom the escheat belongeth, viz. the lord of the manor of whom the land is holden. 2. The manner of such attainder which drawConcerning the eth with it the escheat. Concerning teuure of lands. the tenures of lands, it is to be understood, that all lands are holden of the crown, either mediately or immediately, and that the escheat appertaineth to the immediate lord, and not to the mediate. The reason why all land is

holden of the crown immediately, or by mesne lords, is this.

by right of con

quest, got all the lands of the reala into his hands, and as he gave it, be still rents

The Conqueror got, by right of con- The Conqueror quest, all the land of the realm into his own hands, in demesne, taking from every man all estate, tenure, property, and liberty of the same, (except re-ddre ligious and church lands, and the land Knight's ser in Kent,) and still as he gave any of first instituted. it out of his own hand, he reserved some retribution of rents or services, or both, to him and to his heirs, which reservation is that which is called the tenure of land.

In which reservation he had four institutions, exceeding politic and suitable to the state of a conqueror.

vice in capite

The reserva

tions in knight

service tenure.
was four.
1. Marriage of

the wards, male

service,

2. Horse for 3 Homage and

fealty. 4. Primer

seisin.

The policy of

the Conqueror,

in the reserva constitutedar

was to have the marriage of his

1. Seeing his people to be part Normans, and part Saxons, the Normans he brought with him, the Saxons he found here, he bent himself to conjoin them by marriages in amity, and for that purpose ordains, that if those of his nobles, knights, and gentlemen to whom he gave great rewards of lands should die, leaving their heir within age, a male within twenty-one, and a female within fourteen years, and unmarried, then the king should have the bestowing of such heirs in marriage, in such a family,* and to such persons as he should think meet; which interest of marriage went still employed, and doth at this day in every tenure called knight's service.

wards both

male and female.

The second was to the end that his Reservation people should still be conserved in warlike exercises, and able for his defence. When therefore he gave any good portion of lands, that might make the party of abilities or strength, he withal reserved this service: that that party and his heirs having such lands, should keep a horse of service continually, and serve upon him himself when the king went to wars, or else, having impediment to excuse his own person, should find another to serve in his place; which service of horse and man is a part of that tenure called knight's service at this day.

But if the tenant himself be an infant, the king is to hold this land himself until he come to full age, finding him meat, drink, apparel, and other necessaries, and finding a horse and a man with the overplus to serve in the wars as the tenant himself should do if he were at full age.

But if this inheritance descend upon a woman, that cannot serve by her sex, then the king is not to have the lands, she being of fourteen years of age, because she is then able to have a husband that may do the service in person.

The third institution, that upon every 3. Institution of gift of land the king reserved a vow was, that his

tenants by

vow unto loy

faith, which was called feal.

and an oath to bind the party to his Anight's service faith and loyalty: that vow was allyed which he called homage, the oath fealty. Hoand maker his mage is to be done kneeling, holding his hands between the knees of the lord, saying, in the French tongue, I become your man of life and limb, and of earthly honour. Fealty is to take an oath, upon a book, that he will be a faithful tenant to the king, and do his service, and pay his rents according to his tenure.

ty. 1. Homage.

2. Fealty.

4. Institution

nizon king's bounty, to be paid by

ize for theco

there heir upon

of his

year's profit profit of the lands called

The fourth institution was, that for recognizont of the king's bounty by every heir succeeding his ancestor in those knight's service lands, the king

ancestor, which should have primer seisin of the lands, which is one year's profit of the lands, primer seisin. and until this be paid the king is to have possession of the land, and then to restore it to the heir; which continueth at this day in use, and is the very cause of suing livery, and that as well where the heir hath been in ward as otherwise.

These beforementioned be the rights of the Knight's ser. tenure called knight's service in capite, vienure capite is which is as much to say, as tenure de Tenants by persona regis, and capite being the Frend serjanty chiefest part of the person, it is called

a de per

sona Regis.

were to

lief at the full

age of every

beir, which was

a tenure in capite, or in chief. And it is also to be noted, that as this tenure in capite by knight's service generally was a great safety to the crown, so also Petty serjeanty. the conqueror instituted other tenures in capite necessary to his estate; as, namely, he gave divers lands to be holden of him by some special service about his person, or by bearing some special office in his house, or in the field, which have knight's service and more in them, and these he called tenures by grand serjeanty. Also he provided, upon the first gift of lands, to have revenues by continual service of ploughing his land, repairing his houses, parks, pales, castles, and the like. And sometimes to a yearly provision of gloves, spurs, hawks, horses, hounds, and the like; which kind of reservations are called also tenures in chief, or in capite of the king, but they are not by knight's service, because they required no personal service, but such things as the tenants may hire another to do, or provide for his money. And this tenure is called a tenure

pite, and what

rents.

money

by soccage in capite, the word socagium The institution signifying the plough; howbeit, in this of orcage tu ca latter time, the service of ploughing the itin now turned land is turned into money rent, and so of harvest works, for that the kings do not keep their demesne in their own hands as they were wont to do; yet what lands were de antiquo dominico coronæ, it well appeareth in the records of the Exchequer, called the Book of Doomsday. And the tenants by ancient demesne have many immunities and privileges at this day, that in ancient times were granted unto those tenants by the crown, the particulars whereof are too long to set down.

These tenures in capite, as well that by soccage as the others by knight's service, have this property, that the tenants cannot alien their lands without licence of the king; if he do, the king is to have a fine for the contempt, and may seize the land, and retain it until the fine be paid. And the reason is, because the king would have a liberty in the choice of his tenant, so Office of aliena that no man should presume to enter tion. into those lands, and hold them (for which the king was to have those special services done him) without the king's leave. nation is the This license and fine, as it is now di-alue of gested, is easy and of course.

A license of

third of

the node rately rated.

pro

There is an office called the office of alienation, where any man may have a license at Aid a sum of a reasonable rate, that is, at the third money rateably part of one year's value of the land mo- portion the pe derately rated. A tenant in cap. by lands. knight's service or grand serjeanty, was restrained by ancient statute, that he should not give nor alien away more of his lands, than that with the rest he might be able to do the service due to the king; and this is now out of use.

Every tenant by in capite, had king

make the ki

And to this tenure by knight's service in chief was incident, that the king should have a certain sum of money, called aid, due to be rateably levied knight amongst all those tenants proportion- daughter. ably to his lands, to make his eldest son a knignt, or to marry his eldest daughter.

marry his elest

Tenants by soecage in capite must sue livery and not

d

And it is to be noted, that all those that hold lands by the tenure of soccage in capite (although not by knight's service) cannot alien without for body or land license; and they are to sue livery, and pay primer seisin, but not to be in ward for body or land.

By example and resemblance of the king's policy in these institutions of tenures, the great men and gentlemen of this realm did the like so near as they could: as for example, when the king had given to any of them two thousand acres of land, this party purposing in this place to make his dwelling, or, as the old word is, his mansion house, or

this lord upon so created and placed, was and is to this

his entrance reectively for very knight's fe descended.

Soerare tennre

lord.

day called a tenant by knight's service, and not by his own person, but of his manors; of these he might make as many as he would. Then this lord would provide that the land which he was to keep for his own use should be ploughed, and his harvest brought home, his house repaired, his park paled, and the reserved by the like: and for that end he would give some lesser parcels to sundry others, of twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty acres, reserving the service of ploughing a certain quantity (or so many days) of his land, and certain harvest works or days in the harvest to labour, or to repair the house, park, pale, or otherwise, or to give him, for his provision, capons, hens, pepper, commin, roses, gilliflowers, spurs, gloves, or the like; or to pay him a certain rent, and to be sworn to be his faithful tenant, which tenure was called a soccage tenure, and is so to this day, howbeit most of the plowing and harvest services are turned into money rents.

The tenants in soccage at the death на весаде, ove of every tenant were to pay relief, which no wardship or was not as knight's service is, five upon the dying pounds a knight's fee. But it was, and so is still, one year's rent of the land, and no wardship or other profit to the lord. The remainder of the two thousand acres he kept to himself, which he used to manure by his bondmen, and appointed them at the courts of his manor how they should hold it, making an entry of it into the roll of the remembrances of the acts of his court, yet still in the lord's power to take it away; and therefore, they were called Lure by copy of tenants at will, by copy of court roll; being in truth bondmen at the beginning, but having obtained freedom of their persons, and gained a custom by use of occupying their lands, they now are called copyholders, and are so privileged that the lord cannot put them

out, and all through custom. Some copyholders are for lives, one, two, or three successively; and some inheritances from heir to heir by custom, and custom ruleth these estutes wholly, both for widow's estates, fines, harriots, forfeitures, and all other things.

Court Baron, with the use of it.

Suit to the court

dent to the te

nure of the free

holders.

Manors being in this sort made at the first, reason was that the lord of the manor should hold a court, which is no more than to assemble his tenants together at a time by him to be appointed; in which court he was to be informed, by oath of his tenants, of all such duties, rents, reliefs, wardships, copyholds, or the like, that had happened unto him. which information is called a presentment, and then his bailiff to seize and distrain for those duties, if they were denied or withholden, which is called a court baron: and herein a man may sue for any debt or trespass under forty pounds value, and the freeholders are to judge of the cause upon proof produced upon of the lord inci both sides. And therefore the freeholders of these manors, as incident to their tenures, do hold by suit of court, which is to come to the court, and there to judge between party and party in those petty actions; and also to inform the lord of duties, of rents, and services unpaid to him from his tenants. By this course it is discerned who be the lords of lands, such as if the tenants die without heir, or be attainted of felony or treason, shall have the land by escheat. Now concerning what attainders shall give the escheat to the land, it is to be noted, that it must either be by judgment of death given in some court of record, against the felon found guilty by verdict, or confession of the felony, or it must be by outlawry of him.

What attain

ders shall give the lord. Atjudgment. 2.

the escheat to

tainders. 1. By

By verdict or

confession. 3. give the lands

By outlawry

to the lord.

Of an attainder

The outlawry groweth in this sort: a man is indicted for felony, being not by outlawry. in hold, so as he cannot be brought in person to appear, and to be tried, insomuch that process of capias is therefore awarded to the sheriff, who not finding him, returneth non est inventus in Balliva mea; and thereupon another capias is awarded to the sheriff, who likewise, not finding him, maketh the same return; then a writ called an exigent is directed to the sheriff, commanding him to proclaim him in his county court, five several court days, to yield his body, which if the sheriff do, and the party yield not his body, he is said by the default to be outlawed, the coroners there adjudging him outlawed, and the sheriff making the return of the proclamations and of the judgment of the coroners upon the back side of the writ. This is an attainder of felony, whereupon the offender doth forfeit his lands, by an escheat, to the lord of whom they are holden.

But note, that a man found guilty of felony by verdict or confession, and

Y 2

Prayer of cur