Medieval History Term of the Week: Writ
Writ:
[rit]
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English writan to write
1) Sealed document, transmitting an order from the king or his courts. (Sayles, George O. The King’s Parliament of England, 146)
2) A royal order to a definite person; a mandate commanding something to be done, usually by the sheriff of the county wherein an injury is committed or is supposed to be, requiring him to command the wrongdoer or party accused, either to do justice to the complainant or else to appear in court and answer the accusation against him. (Hogue, Arthur R. Origins of the Common Law, 258)
*definitions retreived from NetSERF’s Medieval Glossary (http://www.netserf.org/Glossary/)
From the Pleas at Northampton in the Fourth Year of the Reign of King John, the Hundred of Cleley
The jurors say that Hugh, son of Walter Priest, was outlawed for the death of Roger Rombald at the suit of Robert Rombald, and afterwards returned under the [protection of the] king’s writ, and afterwards was outlawed for the same death on the appeal of Geoffrey, Thurstan’s son.
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval Glossary, Medieval History on January 29th, 2010
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