Sasine
Encyclopedia
Sasine is the delivery of feudal
property, typically land.
Feudal property means immovable property, and includes everything that naturally goes with the property. For land, that would include such things as buildings, trees, and underground minerals. A superior (eg, a heritor
) might authorise his agent or factor to give possession of his property to someone else through a document known as a "precept of sasine".
Over time, sasine came to be used in common speech as a reference to the deed or document recording the transfer, rather than to the transfer itself. Hence phrases such as "to give sasines", "to deliver sasines", "to receive sasines", "to take sasines".
Alternate spellings: sasin, seasin, sasing, seasing, sesin, seasin, sesine, seasine, saisine.
Transfers of property were originally by symbolic delivery, by handing over a clump of ground or a stone or similar object on the property itself, and then registering the "deed of conveyance" in the local "Register of Sasines". Actual sasines on the land itself was made unnecessary by an act of 1845. The "instrument of sasines" was superseded by the recording of the conveyance with a "warrant of registration" by an act of 1858.
The corresponding term in English law was livery of seisin
(but not the term seisin
).
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
property, typically land.
Feudal property means immovable property, and includes everything that naturally goes with the property. For land, that would include such things as buildings, trees, and underground minerals. A superior (eg, a heritor
Heritor
Heritor, was a privileged person in a Parish in Scots Law. In its original acceptation, it signified the proprietor of an heritable subject, but, in the law relating to Parish government, the term was confined to such proprietors of lands or houses as were liable, as written in their title deeds,...
) might authorise his agent or factor to give possession of his property to someone else through a document known as a "precept of sasine".
Over time, sasine came to be used in common speech as a reference to the deed or document recording the transfer, rather than to the transfer itself. Hence phrases such as "to give sasines", "to deliver sasines", "to receive sasines", "to take sasines".
Alternate spellings: sasin, seasin, sasing, seasing, sesin, seasin, sesine, seasine, saisine.
Additional explanations
A Register of Sasines was created in every locality by the Registration Act 1617. It functions to this day on a national level as the Sasine Register.Transfers of property were originally by symbolic delivery, by handing over a clump of ground or a stone or similar object on the property itself, and then registering the "deed of conveyance" in the local "Register of Sasines". Actual sasines on the land itself was made unnecessary by an act of 1845. The "instrument of sasines" was superseded by the recording of the conveyance with a "warrant of registration" by an act of 1858.
The corresponding term in English law was livery of seisin
Livery of seisin
Livery of seisin is an archaic legal conveyancing ceremony, formerly practiced in feudal England and in other countries following English common law, used to convey holdings in property. The term "livery" is related, if not synonymous with, the word "delivery" as used in modern contract law...
(but not the term seisin
Seisin
Seisin is the term denoting the legal possession of a feudal fiefdom . It was used in the form of "the son and heir of X has obtained seisin of his inheritance", and thus is effectively a term concerned with conveyancing in the feudal era...
).
See also
- SeisinSeisinSeisin is the term denoting the legal possession of a feudal fiefdom . It was used in the form of "the son and heir of X has obtained seisin of his inheritance", and thus is effectively a term concerned with conveyancing in the feudal era...
, English feudal equivalent - Livery of seisinLivery of seisinLivery of seisin is an archaic legal conveyancing ceremony, formerly practiced in feudal England and in other countries following English common law, used to convey holdings in property. The term "livery" is related, if not synonymous with, the word "delivery" as used in modern contract law...
- Moot hillMoot hillA moot hill or mons placiti is a hill or mound historically used as an assembly or meeting place. In early medieval Britain, such hills were used for "moots", meetings of local people to settle local business. Among other things, proclamations might be read; decisions might be taken; court cases...
, a sasine ceremony of barony rights