† hand-habend, a. (n.) O.E. Law.
Also 3 -habbynde, 4 -habbing, 6 Sc. -havand,
[Early ME. form of OE. *hand-hæbbend ‘hand-having’, for which the phrase actually found is æt hæbbendre handa ‘at or with a having hand’. The form habend was subseq. more or less modernized.]
Of a thief: Having (the thing stolen) in hand. Also applied as n. to the offence, and to the franchise of holding plea thereof.
| [a 725 Laws of Wihtræd c. 26 (Schmid), Gif man friᵹne man æt hæbbendre handa ᵹefo. a 940 Laws of æthelst. iv. c. 6 Quicunque sit [fur] sit handhabenda, sit non handhabenda, si pro certo sciatur. Ibid. v. Proem §2 Se þe æt hæbbendre handa ᵹefangen sy. c 1125 Laws of Hen. I, c. 59 §20 Forisbannitum, aut furem handhabendum.] c 1250 Bracton III. ii. xxxii. §2 Ubi latro deprehensus est..hondhabende & bacberende. 1292 Britton i. xxx. §6 Acun..robbeour seisi de soen larcyn handhabbynde et bacberinde. a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 668 Felons inome hond habbing. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 691 Who is founde hond-habbing, Hit nis non nede of witnessing. c 1575 Balfour Practicks (1754) 39 Thieves..apprehendit in manifest thift, sic as handhavand and back-beirand. 1609 Skene tr. Quoniam Attach. c. 39 §1 Gif he is taken..in handhauang theift, or roborie. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth iv, Our outfang and infang, our hand-habend, our back-bearand, and our blood-suits. |