Law. Forms: 4–6, 9 dial. feff(e)ment, (5 feefe-, fef(e)ment), feoffament, 5, 9 dial. feftment, 6–7 feoffe-, feof(e)ment, 6– feoffment. [a. AF. feoffement; see FEOFF v. and -MENT.]
1. The action of investing a person with a fief or fee. In technical lang. applied esp. to the particular mode of conveyance (originally the only one used, but now almost obsolete) in which a person is invested with a freehold estate in lands by livery of seisin (at common law generally but not necessarily evidenced by a deed, which however is now required by statute).
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 254.
| Edward withut essoyn salle gyue Philip þe kyng | |
| Alle holy Gascoyn, withouten disturblying. | |
| After þe forty dayes of þat feffement, | |
| Philip, without delayes, salle gyue þat ilk tenement. |
1439. E. E. Wills (1882), 118. Eny land by wey of graunt or feeffement to myne vse.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 153. Fefement, feofamentum.
1465. Mann. & Househ. Exp., 475. Item, to go throw wyth the feffement of my lordes of Norffolke.
1531. Dial. on Laws Eng., I. xxi. (1638), 39. He that hath the estate, may lawfully … make a feoffement thereof.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 25. Feoffment … is the most ancient and necessary Conveyance which is used by the Common Law.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. II. xx. 311. By the mere words of the deed the feoffment is by no means perfected.
1875. Poste, Gaius, II. Comm. (ed. 2), 172–3. The essence of a feoffment is livery of seisin (delivery of possession).
b. spec. (more fully) feoffment in, of, upon, trust; feoffment to uses: see FEOFF v. 1 b.
1489. Plumpton Corr., 70. A feoffament of trust indented made by your mastership unto me. Ibid. (1490), 97. William Plompton … shewed to me a copy of astate & feftment, mad by my master … to certaine feofes, to his beofe [= to his own use] of lands … for terme of his lyfe.
1538. Leland, Itin., IV. 13. To whom he left his Land in Feoment withowt Declaration of Wylle to any use.
1552. Huloet, Feofment of trust, fidei commissum.
1606. Holland, Sueton., § 23. 165. The iurisdiction as touching feofments upon trust was wont yeere by yeere.
1695. Kennett, Par. Antiq. (1818), II. 58. This feoffment was judicially suppressed … Feb. 13, 1633.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), I. vi. 344. The practice of feoffments to uses.
c. dial. An endowment.
1561. Richmond. Wills (Surtees), 151. I will that all suche feoffaments and annuities as I have made unto Symonde and Adam Askwithe shall stand according to th’effecte of my graunte therof maide.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Feftments, portions of property belonging to an endowment.
d. Deed of feoffment: The instrument or deed by which corporeal hereditaments are conveyed.
1545–6. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 252. Hys dede of feoffement.
1616. B. Jonson, Devil an Ass, IV. iii.
| He’ha’s a quarrell to carry, and ha’s caus’d | |
| A deed of Feoffment, of his whole estate | |
| To be drawne yonder. |
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 79. By the custom of gavelkind, an infant of fifteen years may by one species of conveyance (called a deed of feoffment) convey away his lands in fee simple.
1876. Bancroft, Hist. U. S., II. xxiv. 111. It was not difficult to obtain from the duke a release of his claim on Pennsylvania; and after much negotiation, the lower province was granted by two deeds of feoffment.
† 2. = 1 d. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 72. Symonye and cyuile … vnfoldeth þe feffement.
14[?]. Plumpton Corr., 46. My nephew Halnath hath bene with me, and shewed to me a wyll made upon a feftment.
1672. Petty, Pol. Anat. (1691), 7. Forg’d Feofments.
3. The fief conferred.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 249. Fo [v.r. To] wild þe feffementes ald & þei granted þertille.
