Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- In law: So much of the wood and timber of the premises held by a tenant as may be necessary for fuel, for the use of the tenant and his family, while in possession of the premises, and so much as may be necessary for keeping the buildings and fences thereon in suitable repair. Bingham. See
bote , 2 . - The right which the common law gave a tenant to take such wood.
- In a more general sense, supplies, as alimony for a wife, or supplies for the use of a felon and his family during his imprisonment.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun plural (Law) Necessaries or supplies; an allowance to a person out of an estate or other thing for support; as of wood to a tenant for life, etc., of sustenance to a man confined for felony out of his estate, or alimony to a woman divorced out of her husband's estate.
- noun plural See under
Common , n.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Plural form of
estover . - noun law, history An
estover , an allowance made from an estate for a person's support. - noun law, history An allowance or
alimony granted to a divorced woman, taken from the husband's estate for her support. - noun law, history An allowance of wood made to a tenant.
- noun law, history The freedom of a tenant to take necessary wood from the land occupied by that tenant.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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They were granted 'estovers' - dead wood - for fuel, to repair their homes, fix tools or make charcoal.
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And so it is said that under the appellation of estovers, collection of alimony was enforced through writ de estoveriis habendis.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize 1840-1916 1913
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And to make this plainer, if need be, it is added, "If a man grants to one estovers to repair his house, it is appurtenant to his house."
The Common Law Oliver Wendell Holmes 1888
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Mr. and Mrs. Scobel were among those dusky figures grouped around the wide firelit hearth, where the piled-up logs testified to the Tempest common of estovers.
Vixen, Volume II. 1875
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That no customary tenant of the said manor can cut, sell, or dispose of any trees growing upon his customary tenement, without the licence of the lord of the said manor, unless for repairs, estovers, and other necessary things to be used upon his customary tenement.
John Keble's Parishes Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862
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Dean, whereof the Lea Baily and Cannopp to be part of the said wastle, may be enclosed by his Majesty, and discharged for ever from all manner of pasture, estovers, and pannage; and if ever his
The Forest of Dean An Historical and Descriptive Account 1846
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If no estovers had been given, none could have been claimed; and whatever the keeper is bound by his covenants'to perform, he mu$t do at his own expence.
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The ranger cannot cut timber for estovers, without the view of the regarder, even if that offiije is va - cant, where he has taken no steps to get it filled.
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The land that is the subject of the grant must be subject, like all other land, to the common rights of tenants for years, among which rights these estovers are.
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If no estovers had been given, none could have been claimed; and whatever the keeper is bound by his covenants to perform, he must do at his own expence.
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In addition to common pasture, commoners were granted rights of pannage, of turbary, of estovers, and of piscary—rights to run their pigs in the woods, to cut peat for fuel, to gather wood from the forests, and to fish.
The Theft of the Commons Condé Nast 2022
chained_bear commented on the word estovers
usage on consuetudo
March 19, 2008
qms commented on the word estovers
Ety. note: Old French estover, estovoir, subst. use of estovoir to be necessary. (OED)
August 5, 2016
qms commented on the word estovers
We scurry in fortune's fierce race
Till age makes us slacken the pace.
We cease being rovers
And guard our estovers
And hope that we fade with some grace.
August 5, 2016