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debito. Verum si dominus potens non fuerit tenentem suum pro servitiis suis vel consuetudinibus justiciare; tunc decurrendum erit ei ad auxilium regis vel capitalis justiciae, et tale breve inde habebit :·

c. 9.

Rex Vicecomiti salutem. Praecipio tibi quod justicies 1 N. quod juste et sine dilatione faciat R. consuetudines et recta servitia quae ei facere debet de tenemento suo quod de eo tenet in illa villa, sicut rationabiliter monstrare poterit eum sibi deberi, ne oporteat eum amplius inde conqueri pro defectu recti.

(2) GUARDIANSHIP IN CHIVALRY OR KNIGHT SERVICE.

Lib. vii. c. 9. Sunt enim quidam haeredes, de quibus constat eos esse majores, alii unde constat esse minores, alii de quibus dubium est utrum sint majores an minores. Haeredes vero majores statim post decessum antecessorum suorum possunt se tenere in haereditate sua, licet domini possint feodum suum cum haerede in manus suas capere2; ita tamen moderate id fieri debet, ne aliquam disseisinam haeredibus faciant: possunt enim haeredes, si opus fuerit, violentiae dominorum resistere, dum tamen parati sunt relevium et alia recta servitia eis inde facere. Si vero constet eos esse minores, tunc ipsi haeredes tenentur esse sub custodia dominorum suorum donec plenam habuerint aetatem (si fuerint haeredes de feodo militari), quod sit post vicesimum et unum annum completum, si fuerit haeres et filius militis vel per feodum militare tenentis. Si vero haeres et filius sokemanni fuerit, aetatem habere intelligitur tunc cum quindecim compleverit annum3. Si vero fuerit filius burgensis, aetatem habere tunc intelligitur, cum discrete sciverit denarios

1 A writ of justicies was in the nature of a special commission to the sheriff, giving him authority to adjudicate in the particular case in the county court.

2 See above, p. 42. There was a distinction between wardship of the lands and wardship of the body. The lord was entitled to both except when the infant's father was still alive. In that case the father was entitled as against the lord to the wardship of the body. This carried with it the right to the marriage of the infant. See Littleton, lib. ii. c. 4. § 114.

The exact age seems not to have been quite settled in Bracton's time (see fol. 86), but in the time of Littleton was finally fixed at fourteen; lib. ii. c. 5. § 123. As to tenants in socage, see above, p. 46, &c.

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numerare et pannos ulnare, et alia paterna negotia similiter exercere. Plenam itaque custodiam habent domini filiorum et haeredum hominum suorum et feodorum suorum, ita quod plenam inde habent dispositionem, ut in ecclesiis, in custodiis ipsis constitutis, concedendis, et in mulieribus (si quae in eorum custodiam exciderint), maritandis, et in aliis negotiis disponendis, secundum quod propria negotia sua disponere solent1. Nihil tamen de haereditate de jure alienare possunt ad remanentiam 2; ita tamen quod haeredes ipsos honorifice, pro quantitate haereditatis interim habeant, et debita etiam defuncti pro quantitate haereditatis et temporis quo illis custodia deputatur, acquietent; unde et de debitis antecessorum de jure respondere tenentur. Negotia quoque ipsorum haeredum agere possunt, et placita de jure eis acquirendo movere et prosequi, si emissa fuerit de aetate contra minorem exceptio. Respondere autem non tenentur pro illis nec de recto nec de disseisina nisi in unico casu*. . . . . .

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Restituere autem tenentur custodes haereditates ipsis haeredibus instauratas et debitis acquietatas, juxta exigentiam temporis custodiae et quantitatis haereditatis. Si vero dubium

1 'But if he be the son of a burgage tenant he is held to be of full age as soon as he can keep correct accounts, measure cloth, and in similar matters transact his father's business. And thus the lord has the complete custody both of the persons of the sons and heirs of their tenants and also of their estates, so as to have complete power of disposing of both. As for instance, after the heirs have come under wardship, the lord is entitled to make grants of ecclesiastical benefices, and to have the marriage of the female wards, if any females have come under wardship, and to manage their affairs generally, in the same way as he is accustomed to manage his own.' 2 'In perpetuity.' The word is sometimes used by Glanvill to express estate of inheritance.'

3 Pleas, suits: placita coronae or criminalia are criminal suits as opposed to placita civilia or civil suits; communia placita, suits between subject and subject. Hence the Court of Common Pleas. See Magna Carta (John), c. 17; Stubbs, Select Charters, p. 291.

The lord may transact business in the place and on behalf of the heir, and institute and prosecute suits to protect his rights, if the adversary sets up the nonage of the minor as a defence. A lord is however not bound to make himself defendant in place of the heir except in a single instance,' which Glanvill proceeds to mention.

But the guardian in chivalry was not obliged to account for the mesne profits.

fuerit utrum fuerint haeredes majores an minores, tunc procul dubio domini tam haeredes quam haereditates in custodia habebunt, donec aetas rationabiliter probetur per legales homines de vicineto et per eorum sacramentum.

C. IO. Si vero plures habuerint dominos ipsi haeredes sub custodia constituti, capitales eorum domini, id est, illi quibus ligeantiam debent, sicut de primis eorum feodis, eorum habebunt custodiam; ita quod de caeteris feodis relevia et alia recta servitia dominis ipsorum feodorum facere tenentur. Et sic custodia eis per totum sub forma praescripta remanebit. Notandum tamen quod si quis in capite de domino rege tenere debet, tunc ejus custodia ad dominum regem plene pertinet, sive alios dominos habere debeat ipse haeres sive non; quia dominus rex nullum habere potest parem multo minus supe- . riorem1. Veruntamen ratione burgagii tantum non praefertur dominus rex aliis in custodiis. Si vero dominus rex aliquam custodiam alicui commiserit 2, tunc distinguitur utrum ei custodiam pleno jure commiserit, ita quod nullum eum inde reddere compotum oporteat ad scaccarium, aut aliter. Si vero ita plene ei custodiam commiserit, tunc poterit ecclesias vacantes donare, et alia negotia sicut sua recte exercere 3.

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(3) GUARDIANSHIP IN SOCAGE.

Lib. vii. c. II. Haeredes vero sokemannorum, mortuis antecessoribus suis, in custodia consanguineorum suorum propinquiorum erunt; ita tamen quod si haereditas ipsa ex parte patris descenderit, ad consanguineos ex parte matris descendentes custodia ipsa referatur. Sin autem ex parte matris haereditas ipsa descenderit, tunc ad consanguineos paternos custodia pertinet. Nunquam enim custodia alicujus de jure alicui remanet, de quo habeatur suspicio quod possit vel velit aliquod jus in ipsa haereditate clamare*.

1 See Magna Carta, c. 37; below, Chap. III. § 2.

2. See as to the grant or sale of wardship by the king, the provisions of Magna Carta (John), c. 4; below, Chap. III. § 2; and see Littleton, lib. ii. c. 4. § 116.

3 See further as to guardianship in chivalry, below, Chap. III. § 2.

See as to the rights and duties of guardian in socage, Littleton, lib. ii. c. 5. § 123. When the heir arrives at the age of fourteen he may oust

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(4) MARRIAGE OF FEMALE TENANTS.

Lib. vii. c. 12. Mulier vero vel mulieres, si haeredes alicujus remanserint, in custodia dominorum suorum remanent. Quae, si infra aetatem fuerint, in custodia erunt, donec plenariam habent aetatem 1: et cum habuerint aetatem, tenetur dominus earum eas maritare, singulas cum suis rationabilibus portionibus. Si vero majores fuerint, tunc quoque in custodia dominorum suorum remanebunt, donec per consilium et dispositionem dominorum maritentur. Quia sine dominorum dispositione vel assensu, nulla mulier, haeres terrae, maritari potest de jure et consuetudine regni. Unde si quis filiam vel filias tantum habens haeredem illam vel illas in vita sua sine assensu domini sui maritaverit, inde juste secundum jus et consuetudinem regni perpetuo exhaeredatur, ita quod inde de caetero nihil recuperare poterit nisi per solam misericordiam; et hoc ea ratione, quia cum maritus ipsius mulieris haeredis alicujus homagium de tenemento illo facere tenetur ipsi domino, requirenda est ipsius domini ad id faciendum voluntas et assensus; ne de inimico suo, vel alio modo minus idonea persona, homagium de feodo suo cogatur recipere 2. Verum si quis licentiam quaerit a domino suo filiam suam et haeredem alicui maritandi, tenetur dominus aut consentire, aut justam causam ostendere quare consentire non debeat; aliter enim etiam contra ipsius voluntatem poterit mulier ipsa de consilio patris sui et pro voluntate libere maritari.

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Si semel legitime nuptae fuerint, tunc, si viduae factae fuerint, postmodum non tenebuntur iterum sub custodia dominorum esse; licet teneantur assensum eorum requirere in se maritandis

the guardian, and call upon him to render an account of the issues and profits of the land. If the guardian has provided the heir with a marriage, he is bound to account for the value of the marriage. Guardianship in socage exists at the present day, but a new power of appointing a guardian by the will of the father has been given by 12 Car. II, c. 24. s. 8. See below, Chap. IX.

1 This was fourteen, extended, so far as relates to the right of the lord to hinder a marriage, by the Statute of West. I, c. 22, to sixteen. Littleton, lib. ji. c. 4. § 103. See above, p. 42.

2 In Bracton's time this strictness was somewhat relaxed (fol. 88), and by the Statute of Merton, 20 Hen. III, cc. 6, 7 (below, Chap. III. § 3), a definite penalty was imposed.

praedicta ratione; nec etiam tunc per earum incontinentiam | haereditatem amittent1.

§ 5. Escheat and Forfeiture.

The law of escheat for failure of heirs remains in substance at the present day as it is stated in the following passage, the practical difference being that, as it is but comparatively seldom the case at the present day that freehold lands are held of any known mesne lord, escheat on failure of heirs of a freeholder usually is to the Crown as lord paramount.

Escheat was formerly divided under the heads of escheat propter defectum sanguinis (failure of heirs), and escheat propter delictum tenentis (for the felony of the tenant) 2; the latter kind of escheat however has, together with forfeiture for the same causes, been abolished by 33 and 34 Vict. c. 23.

Lib. vii. c. 17. Ultimi haeredes aliquorum sunt eorum domini. Cum quis ergo sine certo haerede moritur, quemadmodum sine filio, vel filia, vel sine tali haerede de quo dubium sit ipsum esse propinquiorem haeredem et rectum, possunt et solent domini feodorum feoda illa tanquam escaetas in manus suas capere et retinere; quicunque sint domini, sive rex, sive alius. Praeterea vero si quis veniens dicat se inde haeredem rectum, si per misericordiam domini sui, vel per praeceptum domini regis, hoc impetrare poterit, inde placitabit, et sic, si quod jus inde habuerit, diracionare poterit; ita tamen quod interim terra illa in manu domini feodi remaneat: quia quotienscunque dubitaverit aliquis dominus de haerede tenentis sui, utrum sit rectus haeres an non, terram illam tenere poterit, donec hoc ei legitime constiterit. Idem quoque dictum est supra de haerede ubi dubium sit an sit major an minor: in hoc tamen est differentia, quod in uno casu intelligitur interim haereditas illa quasi escaeta ipsius domini; in alio vero casu,

1 See Magna Carta, 1217, c. 8; below, Chap. III. § 4; and for more on the subject of 'marriage,' below, Chap. III. § 3.

2 See Blackstone, book ii. chap. 15.

As to whether title by escheat can properly be considered as falling under descent, see Blackstone, ii. p. 245.

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