an action by a party based on the seisin of a grandfather for the recovery of land of which that party had been dispossessed.

A writ authorizing a person to replevy goods. Obsolete.

an action at law to recover a personal chattel (or its value) wrongfully detained by the defendant. So writ of detinue.

A writ of right formerly used for claiming entailed property (see quot. 1628).

Feudal Law. In full writ of mesne. A writ by which a tenant could recover damages from a mesne lord whose failure to perform services owed to a…

Law. The legal delivery of real property into a person's possession (to have (also give, take) livery); (also) a writ by which possession of…

The offence of disseising someone who has recovered property by the judgment of the king's court; a writ for the recovery of such property and the…

A judicial writ (now abolished) relative to a plea of lands or tenements; so named from its first word. Divided into cape magnum, or the grand cape…

Law. writ of besaile (see quot.).

A writ (Anglo-Norman bref de eschaete) now abolished, to recover escheats from the person in possession.

A writ initiating an action of common recovery. See praecipe, n. 1.

Law. A writ issued in favour of a person who has been distrained twice, and requiring the return of the distrained goods. Usually more fully as wr…

Law. monstrance of right: a writ, issuing out of Chancery, for restoring a person to lands or tenements which legally belonged to him or her…

see quot.