statute staple Law. Now only Hist.
Also statute of the staple.
[An elliptical use of statute of the staple as the name of the ordinance of 1353 (see staple n.2 1); cf. statute merchant. (The shortened form statute staple is on the analogy of statute merchant.)]
A bond of record, acknowledged before the mayor of the staple, conveying powers similar to those given by the statute merchant.
| 1444 Rolls of Parlt. V. 106/2 A reconisaunce to him made of the seid somme.., in a Statute of the Staple. 1472–3 Ibid. VI. 6/2 By force of eny execution, by Statuit of Staple, Estatuit Marchaunt, or any Jugement yeven in any of the Kynges Courtes. 1576 Gascoigne Steele Gl. (Arb.) 71 To stay their steps by statute Staples staffe. 1581 Lambarde Eiren. ii. ii. (1588) 111 Such bonds shall be of the nature of a Statute Staple. 1586 [see staple a. 3]. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1956/2 The cooke of the Temple was arrested in London, and in execution vpon a statute of the staple. 1592 Greene Def. Conny Catching Wks. (Grosart) XI. 55 The gentleman..promised to acknowledge a statute staple to him, with letters of defeysance. 1607 Middleton Fam. Love i. iii. 86 There is not one gentleman amongst twenty but his land be engaged in twenty statutes staple. 1613 Sir R. Boyle in Lismore Papers (1886) I. 21 Cormech M{supc}dermott of Blarney forfeited to me his statue staple of 2000li. 1726 Ayliffe Parergon 188 Nor can his Body be taken in Execution on a Recognizance upon a Statute-Staple. 1766 Blackstone Comm. ii. x. 160 The recognizance in the nature of a statute staple. |