sb. pl. Law. [a. OF. estover, estovoir, subst. use of estovoir to be necessary. Cf. STOVER.] ‘Necessaries allowed by law’ (J.). In various specific applications: esp. Wood that a tenant is privileged to take from his landlord’s estate so far as it is necessary for repairing his house, hedges, implements, etc.; alimony for a widow or for a wife separated from her husband; maintenance for an imprisoned felon. (See quots. Cf. BOOT sb.1 5 b.)
[1292. Britton, III. vii. § 5. La value de renables estovers en autri soil.]
1594. West, Symbol., II. § 55. Housebote, haibote, and plowbote may be demanded by the name of estovers.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 147. Estovers … Bracton used it for such sustenance as a man taken for Felony is to have forth of his lands or goods for himselfe and his family during his imprisonment. And the Statute of 6 Ed. 1 cap. 3. useth this for allowance in meate or cloth.
1642. Perkins, Prof. Bk., i. § 104. 46. Estouers granted to be burnt in a house certaine.
1741. T. Robinson, Gavelkind, II. vi. 243. Estovers in meat or clothes.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 441. Alimony to the [divorced] wife … is sometimes called her estovers.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), III. 89. Estovers for the building of new houses.
1876. Digby, Real Prop., iii. 116. She [a widow] shall have in the meantime her reasonable estovers of the common.
b. Common of estovers: a liberty of taking necessary wood, for the use or furniture of a house, or farm, from off another’s estate. (Wharton.)
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 7. The Lorde may gyue or selle the resydewe of the sayde woodes or wastes, Excepte that a manne haue commen of Estouers.
1594. West, Symbol., II. Chancerie, § 141. All … common, aswell of estovers and pastures, as all other commons.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. II. iii. 27. Common of estovers … is a liberty of taking necessary wood.
1879. Miss Braddon, Vixen, II. 192. The piled-up logs testified to the Tempest common of estovers.
