Some Legal Phrases

Some Legal And Exotic Words And Phrases.

A few of these ancient anachronisms will be found cropping up with regularity – particularly in ‘Ball’. The explanations may leave you more confused than when you started. Still, it’s a beginning.

ATTAINT, to deprive of rights for being convicted of treason.

BARTIZAN, a small overhanging turret projecting from an angle on the top of a tower.

BRAYER, one who brays like an ass.

CAPITE, tenure held immediately from the King. This, with other ancient tenures, was abolished by Stat. Car. 11., C. 24.

CARUCATE, or carve of land, a plough land. So much land as may be tilled in a year and a day by one plough; it was declared in the 19th year of Edward II. to be 100a., sometimes it was 120a.

CESS: a tax, a local rate; to impose a tax.

CHALYBEATE, containing iron (water containing iron).

CHEVAL-DE-FRISE, a piece of timber armed with spikes, used to defend a passage or to stop cavalry.

CHIROGRAPH, a document written in duplicate, as the present Charter Party; or a fine upon land engrossed in duplicate.

CHIRURGEN, old fom of surgeon.

CHOUGH, a kind of jackdaw found in rocky places on the sea-coast.

CIRCUMVALLATIONS, walls or fortifications surrounding a town or fort.

CIST, a tomb consisting of a stone chest covered with stone slabs.

COLLOCATION, arrangement, dispotion in place.

COMMONWEALTH, a form of government in which the power rests with the people, esp. that in England after the overthrow of Charles I.

COTTIER, an Irish tenant.

CORBEL, a projection of stone or wood from the face of a wall, used for supporting pillars or other weights.

COVE, a concave arch or vault.

CRANNOCK, half a quarter of wheat.

CURTILAGE, a court attached to a dwelling-house.

CUSTOS, one who has custody or care, particularly of a some public building.

DEMANDANT, he who is actor or plaintiff in a real action, because he demands lands.

DEMI-BASTION, a kind of half-bastion, consisting of one face and one flank.

ENTABLATURE, that part of a design in classical architecture which surmounts the columns, and rests upon the capitals.

ENTAIL, to settle an estate on a series of heirs, so that the immediate possessor may not dispose of it.

ESCHEATOR, an officer who takes notice of the King’s escheats in the county whereof he is Escheator, and certifies them into the Exchequer.

FAINEANT, do-nothings, mere puppets.

FEE FARM RENT, where an estate in fee is granted, subject to a rent in fee of at least one-fourth of the value of the lands at the time of its reservation.

FEE SIMPLE, a freehold estate of inheritance, absolute and unqualified.

FEOFFMENT, grant of a feud or fee in trust; a gift or conveyance in fee of land or other corporeal hereditaments, accompanied by actual delivery of possession the deed or instrument by which said land or hereditaments are conveyed.

FORFEITURE, a penalty for an offence or unlawful act, or for some wilful omission of a tenant of property, whereby he loses it, together with his title, which devolves upon others.

FRANK-ALMOIGNE, free alms. A spiritual tenure whereby religious corporations, aggregate or sole, held lands of the donor to them and their successors for ever.

FRISKET, a light frame used to hole the page in old printing.

GLACIS, a gentle slope, a smooth sloping bank.

GLEBE, the land belonging to a parish church or ecclesiastical benefice.

GROINED, having angular curves made by the intersection of two arches.

GUDGEON: A genus of small, carp-like fish; a person easily cheated, because of the ease with which the fish is caught.

HEARTH MONEY, a tax levied by 14 Car. II., c. 10. It was productive of great discontent, and was abolished by 1 W. and M., st. 1, c. 10.

HELVE, the handle of an axe or hatchet.

HOBBLEDEHOY: an awkward youth, a stripling, neither man nor boy.

KERN, an Irish foot-soldier.

KNIGHT’S SERVICE, a tenure by which the tenant, holding direct from the King, rendered service in war.

LEET: an ancient English counrt, est. the assembly of the men of a township; the district subject to such; the right to hold such a court.

LESTAGE, otherwise lestagium and lastage, a duty laid on the cargo of a ship.

LIEGEMAN, a vassal, a subject.

LIVERY, act of delivering possession of lands or tenements, the writ by which possession is obtained, deliverance 6r release from wardship.

MARCATE, of land, so much land as is worth one mark [13s. 4d.] a year.

MARK: An English coin equal to 13s 4d.

MESSUAGE: a dwelling and offices with the adjoining lands set apart for the use of the household.

MENDICITY, the state of being a mendicant or beggar.

MIDDEN: A heap of ashes or dung.

ORIGINALS, estreats from the Rolls of Chancery, transmitted into the Exchequer.

OSIER, species of willow whose twigs are used in making baskets.

PASSAGE, properly a way over water.

PECCANT, sinning.

PEDIMENT: a triangular or circular ornament which crowns the fronts of buildings, and serves as a finish to the tops of doors, windows, porticos, &c.

PECK, a measure of capacity for dry goods = 2 gallons or one quarter of a bushel.

PERAMBULATORS, persons who perambulated or surveyed the boundaries of land.

PETRONEL, a large horse-pistol, a small carbine.

PILASTER: a square pillar or column, partly built-into, and partly projecting from a wall.

PLAT: a piece of grounds ornamentally laid out.

POLEAXE, a battle-axe consisting of an axe-head on a long handle.

PONTAGE, duty paid for the reparation of bridges, also a due to the lord of the fee for persons or merchandises that pass over rivers, bridges, etc.

POURTRAY:  same as Portray.

PREST, loan or advance.

PROTHONOTARY: a chief notary or clerk,

PURSY: Puffy; fat and short; short-breathed.

PUSEYISM, name given to the High Church and Catholic principles of Dr. E. B. Pusey (1800-82).

RECUSANT, a Nonconformist, one who refused communion with the Church of England.

REMEMBRANCER, an officer of exchequer.

RESTORATION, the re-establishment of the British monarchy with the return of Charles II in 1660.

SAC, liberty of holding pleas and imposing mulcts and forfeitures upon transgressors.

SENESCHAL, a steward, a major-domo.

SILLIBUB: (also Sillabub) a dish made of wine or cider mixed with milk into a curd, sweetened and flavoured.

SKEIN, a knot or number of knots in yarn or thread.

SOC, liberty or privilege of tenants excused from customary burdens and impositions.

SOCAGE, a tenure by which tenants held their lands, to plough the lands of their landlords with their own ploughs, and to perform other services of husbandry at their charge. Afterwards changed into a yearly payment, called “Free or Common Socage.”

SOFFIT, a ceiling, the ornamented under-sides of staircases, archways, etc.

STALLAGE, liberty or right of pitching or erecting stalls in fairs or markets, or the money paid for the same.

STANG: A wooden bar, a pole.

STANGA, a perch of land.

STIPEND, a salary paid for services, especially to a clergyman.

SUBSIDY, an aid, tax, or tribute granted to the Crown for the urgent occasions of the kingdom, to be levied on every subject of ability, according to the value of his lands or goods.

SUPERSESSION, a setting aside, the act of superceding.

TAIL MALE, the heir male in whom a freehold of inheritance is limited.

TALLAGE, tribute, toll, or tax.

TITHE,  the tenth of the produce of land and stock alloted to the clergy.

TITULADOE, occupier or claimant.

TOFT, a house, a homestead.

TROW: To hold as true; to trust; to believe.

TYRTAEUS, a Greek martical poet of the 7th century.

UNDERWOOD: Low wood or trees growing under large ones; a coppice.

VIRGINAL: An old jeyed musical instrument, oblong in shape; one of the three forms of the harpsichord.

VIRTU: A love of the fine arts; taste for curiousities; objects of art or antiquity.

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