Equity VII

In 1285 the Statute of Westminster II (De Donis Conditionalibus) authorized clerks to issue writs but it was with regards to Writs of Formendon which restricted the sale of land that is inherited and protects the land from being sold, in the form of a trust, and causes it to pass automatically to a heir predetermined by a deed.

While it did complicated matters somewhat (a large portion of the cases that were dealt with at the time were with regards to land) it did protect the rights and the interests of the predetermined heir, especially in cases and instances where the intended heir was a minor, and we also have to look at it in light of the fact that many of the feudal landowners were involved in the crusades (1021 – 1291) at the time, and often left behind young heirs.

Copyright © 2019 by Dyarne Jessica Ward