mort d'ancestor Old Law.
(mɔːˈdænsɪstə(r))
Also 6 mortaunceter, mort(d)auncesto(u)r, 7, 9 mortdancester, (8, -or), 7 mort d'ancester, mordauncester.
[a. AF. mordancestre, mort d'auncestre ‘ancestor's death’.]
The term applied to an assize brought by the right heir against one who wrongfully took possession of his inheritance on the death of his ancestor (see Britton iii. vi.).
| 1523 Fitzherb. Survey. 13 The kynges writ of assise of nouell disseson or of assise of mortaunceter. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, c. 2 §2 That no maner of persone..shall herafter have sue or maintain any issue of Mortauncestor [etc.]. 1543 tr. Act 9 Hen. III, c. 12 Assyses of newe dysseisin, and of mortdauncestour. 1642 tr. Perkins' Prof. Bk. v. §383. 165 If Tenant in Taile of land hath issue and dyeth and a stranger abateth..and the issue in tayle bring an Assise of Mordauncester. 1833 Act 3 & 4 Will. IV, c. 27 §36 No Writ..of Mort d'ancestor..shall be brought after the Thirty-first Day of December One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four. 1875 Digby Real Prop. ii. §9 The writ of assize of Mort d'Ancestor was perhaps instituted by the ordinance called the Assize of Northampton, a.d. 1176. |