Page:The statutes of Wales (1908).djvu/420

288 Sessed, taxed.

Sine cura, an office which has revenue without employment.

Spadones, Eunuchs, impotent men.

Special bail, bail given by persons who undertook generally, after the appearance of a defendant, that if he should lose the action, the debts, costs, and damages should be paid.

Straif, or estrays, tame animals of value, whose owners were unknown, found wandering.

Stuffing and Ward, stores and garrison.

Subpoena ab testificandum, a writ commanding attendance in court under a penalty to give evidence.

Subpoena duces tecum, a writ served upon a person to produce written documents, &c.

T

Tales de circumstantibus, jurors summoned to act as such from amongst the bystanders in Court.

Testatum, the witnessing part of a deed or agreement.

Teste, the witnessing part of a writ, warrant, or other proceeding which expresses the date of its issue.

Thefbote, compounding a felony.

Tourn, The Sheriff's Tourn was a Court of Record held twice every year, within a month after easter and Michaelmas, before the Sheriff.

Treasure Trove, money or coin, gold, silver, plate or bullion, found hidden in the earth or other private place, the owner being unknown or not found, in which case it belongs to the Crown.

Tributors, see Chensers.

V

Venire facias, a judical writ to the Sheriff to summon a jury for trial of a cause (abolished in 1852). It was the first process in outlawry, when a person charged with misdemeanour absconded.

Vetitium namium, a second distress, in lieu of the first distress.

Villain, a man of base or servile condition; a bondsman or servant; one who held by a base service.

Vouch to warranty, to call one to warrant.

Vouchee, the person vouched in a writ of right.

W

Wager of battle, a form of trial, where the question was decided by the result of a personal combat between the parties, or in the case of a writ of right between their champions. Abolished 59 Geo. 3, c. 46.

Wager of Law, a proceeding which consisted in defendant's discharging himself from the claims on his own oath, bringing with him at the same time into Court eleven of his neighbors (compurgatores) to swear that they believed his denial to be true.