Legal Term Dictionary

A writ that anciently lay against tenants by knight's service to serve in the wars, or send sufficient persons, or pay a certain sum. Fitzh. Nat Brev. 83.

A writ that anciently lay against tenants by knight's service to serve in the wars, or send sufficient persons, or pay a certain sum. Fitzh. Nat Brev. 83. Less...

A French coin of gold, coined A. D. 1427, of the value of 3s. 4d.

A French coin of gold, coined A. D. 1427, of the value of 3s. 4d. Less...

A scuttle; anything of a flat or broad shape like a shield. Cowell. -ScnteUa eleemosynaria. An alms-basket

A scuttle; anything of a flat or broad shape like a shield. Cowell. -ScnteUa eleemosynaria. An alms-basket Less...

In old records. Esquire; the same as "armiger." Spelman.

In old records. Esquire; the same as "armiger." Spelman. Less...

A shield or coat of arms. Cowell.

A shield or coat of arms. Cowell. Less...

In old English law. Shire i county; the Inhabitants of a county.

In old English law. Shire i county; the Inhabitants of a county. Less...

In Saxon law. The meeting or court of the shire. This was the most Important court in the Saxon polity, having jurisdiction of both ecclesiastical and secular causes. Its meetings were held twice in the year. Its Latin name was "curia oomitatisr"

In Saxon law. The meeting or court of the shire. This was the most Important court in the Saxon polity, having jurisdiction of both ecclesiastical and secular causes. Its meetings were held twice in the year. Its Latin name was "curia oomitatisr" Less...

Lat. In defending himself; in self-defense. Homicide committed se defendendo is excusable.

Lat. In defending himself; in self-defense. Homicide committed se defendendo is excusable. Less...

The ocean; the great mass of water which surrounds the land U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct 109, 37 L. Ed. 1071; De Lovlo v. Bolt 7 Fed. Cas. 428; Cole v. White, 26 Wend. (N. Y.) 516; Snow-don v. Guion, 50 N. Y. Super. More...

The ocean; the great mass of water which surrounds the land U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct 109, 37 L. Ed. 1071; De Lovlo v. Bolt 7 Fed. Cas. 428; Cole v. White, 26 Wend. (N. Y.) 516; Snow-don v. Guion, 50 N. Y. Super. Ct. 143. --Beyond sea. In England, this phrase means beyond the limits of the British Isles; in America, outside the limits of the United States or of the particular state, as the case may be. -High seas. The ocean; public waters. According to the English doctrine, the high sea begins at the distance of three miles from the coast of any country; according to the American view, at low-water mark, except in the case of small harbors and roadsteads inclosed within the fauces terra}. Ross v. Mc-Intyre, 140 U. S. 453, 11 Sup. Ct. 897, 35 L. Ed. 581; U. S. v. Grush, 26 Fed. Cas. 50; U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct. 109, 37 L. Ed. 1071; Ex parte Byers (D. C.) 32 Fed. 405. The open ocean outside of the fauces terrw, as distinguished from arms of the sea; the waters of the ocean without the boundary of any county. Any waters on the sea-coast which are without the boundaries of low-water mark.-Main sea. The open, unin-closed ocean; or that portion of the sea which is without the fauces terrw on the sea-coast, in contradistinction to that which is surrounded or inclosed between narrow headlands or promontories. People v. Richmond County, 73 N. Y. 396; U. S. v. Grush, 26 Fed. Cas. 48; U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct. 109, 37 L. Ed. 1071; Baker v. Hoag, 7 N. Y. 561, 59 Am. Dec. 431; 2 East, P. C. c. 17, f 10.-Sea-batteries. Assaults by masters in the merchant service upon seamen at sea.-Sea-bed. All that portion of land under the sea that lies beyond the sea-shore.-Sea-brief. See SEA-LETTER.-Sea-greens. In the Scotch law. Grounds overflowed by the sea in spring tides. Bell^-Sea-laws. Laws relating to the sea, as the laws of Oleron, etc.-Sea-letter. A species of manifest, containing a description of the ship's cargo, with the port from which it comes and the port of destination. This is one of the documents necessary to be carried by all neutral vessels, in the merchant service, in time of war, as an evidence of their nationality. 4 Kent, Comm. 157. See Sleght v. Hartshorne, 2 Johns. (N. Y.) 540.-Sea-reeve. An officer in maritime towns and places who took care of the maritime rights of the lord of the manor, and watched the shore, and collected wrecks for the lord. Tomlins.-Sea rovers. Pirates and robbers at sea.-Sea-shore. The margin of the sea in its usual and ordinary state. When the tide is out, low-water mark is the margin of the sea; and, when the sea is full, the margin is hieh-water mark. The sea-shore is therefore all the ground between the ordinary high-water mark and low-water mark. It cannot be considered as including any ground always covered by the sea, for then it would have no definite limit on the sea-board. Neither can it include any part of the upland, for the same reason. Storer v. Freeman, 6 Mass. 439, 4 Am. Dec. 155; Church v. Meeker, 34 Conn. 424. That space of land over which the waters of the sea are spread in the highest water during the winter season. Civ. Code La. art 442. -Seaworthy, Seaworthiness. See those titles. Less...

An Impression upon wax, wafer, or some other tenacious substance capable of being impressed. Allen v. Sullivan R. Co., 32 N. H. 449; Solon v. Williamsburgh Sav. Bank, 114 N. Y. 132, 21 N. E. 168; Alt Stoker, 127 Mo. 471, 30 S. W. 132; Bradford v. Randall, 5 Pick. More...

An Impression upon wax, wafer, or some other tenacious substance capable of being impressed. Allen v. Sullivan R. Co., 32 N. H. 449; Solon v. Williamsburgh Sav. Bank, 114 N. Y. 132, 21 N. E. 168; Alt Stoker, 127 Mo. 471, 30 S. W. 132; Bradford v. Randall, 5 Pick. (Mass.) 497; Osborn v. Kistler, 35 Ohio St. 102; Hopewell Tp. v. Amwell Tp., 6 N. J. Law, 175; Jones v. Logwood, 1 Wash. (Va.) 43. A seal is a particular sign, made to attest in the most formal manner, the execution of an instrument Code Civ. Proc. Cal. 8 1930. Merlin defines a seal to be a plate of metal with a flat surface, on which is engraved the arms of a prince or nation, or private individual, or other device, with which an impression may be made on wax or other substance on paper or parchment in order to authenticate them. The impression thus made is also called a "seal." Repert. mot "Sceau.-Common seal. A seal adopted and used by a corporation for authenticating its corporate acts and executing legal instruments.-Corporate seal. The official or common seal of an incorporated company or association.-Great seal. In English law. A seal by virtue of which a great part of the royal authority Is exercised. The office of the lord chancellor, or lord keeper, is created by the delivery of the great seal into his custody. There is one great seal for all public acts of state which concern the United Kingdom. Mozley ft Whitley. In American law, the United states and also each of the states bas and uses a seal, always carefully described by law, and sometimes officially called the "great" seal, though in some instances known simply as "the seal of the United States," or "the seal of the state."-Private seal. The seal (however made) of a private person or corporation, as distinguished from a seal employed by a state or government or any of its bureaus or departments.-Privy seal. In English law. A seal used in making out grants or letters patent, preparatory to their passing under the great seal. 2 Bl. Comm. 347.-Pablie seal. A seal belonging to and used by one of the bureaus or departments of government, for authenticating or attesting documents, process, or records. An impression made of some device, by means of a piece of metal or other hard substance, kept and used by public authority. Kirksey v. Bates, 7 Port. (Ala.) 534, 31 Am. Dec. 722.-Quarter seal. In Scotch law. A seal kept by the director of the chancery; in shape and impression the fourth part of the great seal, and called in statutes the "testimonial" of the great seal. Bell.-Seal days. In English practice. Motion days in the court of chancery, so called because every motion had to be stamped with the seal, which did not lie in court in the ordinary sittings out of term. Wharton.-Seal office. In English practice. An office for the sealing of judicial writs.- Seal-paper. In English law. A document issued by the lord chancellor, previously to the commencement of the sittings, detailing the business to be done for each day in his court, and in the courts of the lords justices and vice-chancellors. The master of the roils in like manner issued a seal-paper in respect of the business to be heard before him. Smith, Ch. Pr. 9. Less...