a1300–1400 (a1268) H. Bracton (1922) II. 425 (MED) Ubi latro deprehensus est seisitus de aliquo latrocinio, scilicet hondhabbende et bacberende.
c1300 (c1250) (Cambr.) (1966) l. 668 Hit is riȝt..Felons inome hond habbing, For to suffre iugement.
c1330 (Auch.) (1933) l. 558 (MED) Who is founde hond habbing, Hit nis non nede of witnessing.
c1400 (?a1300) (Laud) (1952) l. 4197 Þou art ynome honde-habbynde [?a1425 Linc. Inn hond habbyng] þou shalt quyk honge in þe wynde!
a1425 (?a1350) (Galba) (1907) l. 1563 (MED) Now haue I tane þe hand-haueing; Þou may deny it for nothing.
1524 in J. Cant (1774) II. 66 John Butcher..tane hand havand.
1609 J. Skene tr. c. 39 §1 Gif he is taken..in handhauang theift, or roborie.
1677 Z. Babington 49 The party taken in the manner, hand habend, having the stoln thing in his hand, in his possession, might be killed amongst the Saxons.
1731 VI. 384/1 The Fact must be certain, for he must either be taken Hand habend, i. e. having his Hand in, or being in the very Act of Stealing; or Back-berond, i. e. having the Thing stolen either upon his Back, or somewhere about him.
1789 W. Bentley 427 Neither of the last executed criminals were taken either handhabend, or backberand, but..both were convicted on their own confession.
1869 21 Dec. 2/6 Two burglars have been caught at Dewsbury almost ‘hand-habend’.
1895 F. Pollock & F. W. Maitland II. ii. viii. 495 Hand-having larceny or manifest theft was still within the competence of the hundred courts and of such seignorial courts as enjoyed the franchise of infangthief.
1916 7 500 A thief taken in the act or in flight with his booty..in his possession ‘hand habend’..could be killed on the spot.
1992 G. W. S. Barrow vii. 148 Their [sc. the king of Scotland's serjeants'] duties included..the execution of immediate justice upon the hand-having thief and red-handed murderer.