Court of Wards and Liveries

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In England in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Court of Wards and Liveries was a financial authority for the administration of crown fiefs , whose feudal heirs were underage , as well as for the investiture of new tenants.

It was established by two statutes of King Henry VIII , first in 1540 (32 Henry VIII c. 46) the Court of the King's Wards , to which then in 1542 (33 Henry VIII c. 22) the previously independent Court of liveries was attached. The first Master of the Court was William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester . The task of the court was to administer royal fiefdoms that had fallen through inheritance to minors ( pupils ), i.e. not of legal age, weak-minded or deaf-mute heirs, until they had become hereditary and could take up the fiefdom by paying a fee ( sue out his livery ). Often the lands confiscated in the meantime were also sold to the highest bidder.

In addition to these fiscal tasks, the Court was also responsible for ensuring the practical care of its ward; According to the traditional view, especially the weak-minded ( natural fools ) were under the direct guardianship of the king. In addition, he collected fines for marriage closings without royal consent and had the right to refuse royal widows consent to remarry.

In the course of the Puritan Revolution and the abolition of the knight's armrest, the Court was dissolved by the Long Parliament in 1645 ; after the restoration, its abolition was formally confirmed by Charles II (12 Charles II c. 24).

literature

  • HE Bell: An Introduction to the History and Records of the Court of Wards and Liveries. Cambridge, 1953.