Forcible Entry Act 1429

by The Parliament of England

Revised version of the original text

Item come p le Roy Richard nadgairs Roi Dengletre puis le conquest scde, a son plement tenuz a Westm lendemain des Almes lan de son reign xv^me, entre autes choses ordinez estoit & establiez, q les estatutz & ordinances faitz & nient repellez de ceux qi fount entrees ove forte main en tres tentz ou autres possessions qeconqs, & lo^r teignent eins ove force, et auxi de ceux qi fount insurreccions riotes routes chivaches ou assembles, en destourbaunce de la peas ou de la coe ley ou en affraie del poeple, sroient tenuz & plenement executes; & outre ceo ordine est pe mesme lestatut q toutz les foitz q tiels forcibles entres soient faitz, & pleint ent veigne as Justices de peas ou ascun deux, q mesmes les Justices ou Justice pignent ou pigne poair del Countee, & voisent ou voise al lieu ou tiel force soit fait, & sils trovent ou trove ascuns ten^antz tiel lieu forciblement aps tiel entre fait soient prisez & misez en pschien Gaole, a y dem^rrer convictz de record de mesmes les Justices ou Justice tanq ils eient faitz fyn & raunceon au Roy; Et q toutz gentz de Counte sibien Viscountz come autres soient entendantz as ditz Justices, de eux enforcier pur arestier tiels malefaisours sur peine demprisonement & de faire fyne & raunceon au Roy; Et q en mesme le mane soit fait de ceux qi fount forcibles entres en benefices au [office]^[1] de Seint Esglise, come en mesme lestatut est contenuz pluis au plein: Et pur taunt q le dit estatut nextende my as entres en tentz en peisible mane & aps tenuz ove force, ne si les psones qentront ove force en tres ou tentz soient remoevez & voidez dev^ant les venu des ditz Justices ou Justice come dev^ant, ne null peine ordine si le Viscount ne obeie my les maundementz & pcepts des ditz Justices pur executier lordinance suisdce, plousours torcenouses & forcibles entres sount faitz de jour en autre en tres & tentz p ceux qi droit nount; Et auxi divses douns feoffementz & discontinuances ascunfoitz faitz as l^rs en autres psones puissantz & extorcioners deins les Countes ou ils sount convsantz pur maintenance avoir, & ascuns foitz as tiels psones ensy oustez disconuz, a tiel entent p^r delaier & defrauder tiels droiturelx possessours de lour droit & recover a toutz jours, a final disheriteson de plusours des foials lieges de Roy, & semblable est dencrescer de jour en autre si du remedie ne soit p^rveu celle ptie: Nre lr le Roy considerant les pmisses ad ordene, q le dit estatut & toutz autres estatutz de tiels entres alienacion dev^ant faitz soient tenuz & duement executz; Ajoustant a icelle q si desore en av^ant ascun face tiel forcible entre en tres tentz ou autre possessions, ou eux tiegne forciblement, aps compleint ent fait deins mesme le Counte lou tiel entre soit fait as Justices de Peas ou un de eux p la partie greve, q les Justices ou Justice ensi garny deins temps covenable facent ou face duement executer le dit estatut & ceo as costages del ptie ensi greve; et outre ceo coment q tielx psones faisantz tile entre soient psentz, ou voidez dev^ant le venu des ditz Justices ou Justice, nientmeins mesmes Justices ou Justice en ascun bone Ville pluis pschein as tentz ensy entrez, ou en ascun lieu covenable solonc loure discrecion, eient & chun de eux eit auctorite & poair denquerer p gentz de mesme le Countee, auxi bien de ceux q fount tielx forcibles entrees en tres & tentz come de ceux q eux teignent ove force; Et si trove soit dev^ant ascun deux q ascun face le cont^arie de cest estatut, adonqs les ditz Justices ou Justice facent ou face reseiser les tres & tentz ensy entrez ou tenuz come dev^ant, & mettre la ptie ensy ouste en plein possession de mesmes les tres & tentz come dev^ant entrez ou tenuz: . . . Et auxi q^aunt les ditz Justices ou Justice ferrent tielx enquerrez come dev^ant, facent ou face lour garantz & pcepts directz al Viscount de mesme le Counte, luy comaundant de par le Roy de fair venir, dev^ant eux & chescun deux, psones sufficiantz & indifferentz pluis pscheins dem^rrantz entour les tentz ensy entrez come dev^ant, denquerrer de tielx entreez: . . . Et si ascun Viscount ou Bailly deinz f^aunchchise aiantz reto^rne de bre du Roy, soit lacche & ne face duement execucion des ditz pceptz a luy directz pur tielx enquerrez faire, qil forface devs le Roy xx li. p^r chescun defaut, & outre face fyn & raunceon au Roy. Et q auxibn les Justices ou Justice av^antditz come les Justices des assises a lour venir en pais p^r assises pndre, eient & chescun de eux ait poair doir & tminer tielx defautes & negligences des ditz Vicontz & Baillifs & chun de eux, auxibn p bille al suite del ptie greve pur luy mesme come pur le Roy asuier come p enditement apndre pur le Roy soulement; Et si le Viscont ou Bailly soit duement atteint en ptie p enditement ou p bille, q celuy qi sue pur luy & p^r le Roy eit une moitee de la forfaiture de xx li. ensenblement ou ses costages & expenses; Et q mesme la pcesse soit fais vs tielx enditees ou suez p bille en celle ptie, sicome sroit vs enditez ou suez p bre de fait ou force & armes encountre la peas de Roy. . . . Et q Mairs Justices ou Justice de peas Viscountz & Baillifs des Citees Villes & Burghs aiantz franchise, eient en les ditz Citees Villes & Burghs autiel poair de tielx entrees oustier, & en autres articles desuisdces emgentz deinz ycelles, come ount les Justices de peas & Viscounts en Countes & pais suisdces. Purveu touz foitz q ceux qi gardent p force lour possessions en ascuns tres ou tentz, dount ils ou lour auncestres ou ceux queux estat ils ount en tiels tres & tentz ount contenuz lour possessions en ycelles p trois ans ou pluis, ne soient my endamagez p force de celle estatut.

Translation into English of revised version

Item, whereas by the [noble] King Richard late King of England, after the conquest, the second, at his Parliament holden at Westminster the morrow after All Souls, the fifthteenth Year of his reign, amongst other things, it was ordained and established, that the statutes and ordinances made, and not repealed, of them that make entries with strong hand into lands or tenements, or other possessions whatsoever, and them hold with force, and (^[2]) of them that make insurrections, riots, routs, ridings, [and]^[3] assemblies, in disturbance of the peace, or of the common law, or in affray of the people, should be holden and fully executed; and moreover it is ordained by the same statute, that at all times that such forcible entries be made, and complaint thereof come to the justices of the peace, or any of them, that the same justices or justice shall take the power of the county, and shall go, or one of them shall go, to the place where such force is made; and if they find, or he findeth, any holding such place forcibly, after such entry made, they should be taken and put in the next gaol, there to remain convict by the record of the same justices or justice, until they have made fine and ransom to the King; and that all the people of the county, as well as sheriffs as other, shall be attending to the said justices, and to assist them to arrest such malefactors, upon pain of imprisonment, and to make fine and ransom to the King; and that in the same manner be done of them that make forcible entries into benefices or offices of Holy Church; as in the same statute is contained more at large: And for that the said statute doth not extend to entries [in]^[4] tenements in peaceable manner, and after holden with force, nor if the persons which enter with force into lands [and]^[5] tenements, be removed and voided before the coming of the said justices or justice, as before, nor any pain ordained if the sheriff do not obey the commandments and precepts of the said justices for to execute the said ordinance, many wrongful and forcible entries be daily made [in]^[6] lands and tenements by such as have no right; and also divers gifts, feoffments, and discontinuances sometimes made to lords, and other puissant persons, and extortioners within the said counties where they be conversant, to have maintenance, and sometimes to such persons as be unknown to them so put out, to the intent to delay and defraud such rightful possessors of their right and recovery for ever, to the final disherison of divers of the King's faithful liege people, and likely daily to increase, if due remedy be not provided in this behalf: Our Lord the King considerring the premisses, hath ordained, that the said statute, and all other statutes of such entries or alienations made in times past, shall be holden and duly executed; joined to the same, that from henceforth where any doth make [any]^[7] forcible entry [in]^[8] lands and tenements or other possessions, or hold them forcibly, after complaint thereof made within the same county where such entry is made, to the justices of the peace, or to one of them, by the party grieved, that the justices or justice so warned, within a convenient time shall cause, or one of them shall cause, the said statute duly executed, and that at the costs of the party so grieved; and moreover though that such persons making such entry be present, or else departed before the coming of the said justices or justice, notwithstanding the same justices or justice in some good town next to the tenements so entered, or in some other convenient place, according to their discretion, shall have, or either of them shall have, authority and power to inquire by the people of the same county, as well of them that make such forcible entries [in]^[9] lands and tenements, as of them which the same hold with force; and if it be found before any of them, that any doth contrary to this statute, then the said justices or justice shall cause [to reseise the lands and tenements so entered or holden as afore,]^[10] and shall put the party so put out [in]^[11] full possession of the same lands and tenements so entered or holden as before; . . . And also when the said justices or justice make such enquiries as before, they shall make, or one of them shall make, their warrants and precepts to be directed to the sheriff of the same county, commanding him of the King's behalf to cause to come before them, and every one of them, sufficient and indifferent persons, dwelling next about the [lands]^[12] so entered as before, to inquire of such entries; . . . And if any sheriff, or bailiff within a franchise having return of the King's writ, be slack, and make not execution duly of the said precepts to him directed to make such inquiries, that he shall forfeit to the King xx li. for every default, and moreover shall make fine and ransom to the King. And that as well the justices or justice aforesaid, as the justices of assises, and every of them, at their coming into the country to take assises, shall have power to hear and determine such defaults and negligences of the said sheriffs and bailiffs, and every of them, as well by bill at the suit of the party grieved for himself as for the King [to sue]^[13] by indictment only to be taken for the King; and if the sheriff or bailiff be duly attainted in this behalf by indictment, or by bill, that he which sueth for himself and for the King have the one moiety of the forfeiture of xx li. together with his costs and expences; and that the same process be made against such persons indicted or sued by bill in this behalf, as should be against persons indicted or sued by writ of trespass done with force and arms against the peace of the King. . . . And that mayors, justices or justice of the peace, sheriffs, and bailiffs of cities towns and boroughs, having franchise, have in the said cities, towns, and boroughs, like power to remove such entries, and in other articles aforesaid, rising within the same, as the justices of the peace and sheriffs in counties and countries aforesaid have. Provided always, that they which keep their possessions with force in any lands [and]^[14] tenements, whereof they or their ancestors, or they whose estate they have in such lands and tenements have continued their possessions in the same by three years or more, be not endamaged by force of this statute.

Notes

1. Alternative reading due to Rot. Parl. nu. xviij. (49.): "offices"
2. Alternative reading: "also"
3. Alternative reading: "or"
4. Alternative reading: "into"
5. Alternative reading due to MS. Tr. 2.: "or"
6. Alternative reading: "into"
7. Alternative reading due to MS. Tr. 2.: "suche"
8. Alternative reading: "into"
9. Alternative reading: "into"
10. Alternative reading: "the lands and tenements so entred or holden as aforesaid to be reseised,"
11. Alternative reading: "into"
12. Alternative reading due to MS. Tr. 2.: "tenementis"
13. Alternative reading: "to be sued, as"
14. Alternative reading due to MS. Tr. 2.: "or"