Legal Definitions - Court of Wards and Liveries

The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established in 1540 to enforce the Crown's right to income from various feudal tenures. Its purpose was to hold inquests of office, known as inquisitio post mortem, to determine the lands and heirs of the king's tenants upon their death. This allowed the Crown to claim benefits such as wardship, relief, and primer-seisin.

For example, if a tenant died, the Court of Wards and Liveries would hold an inquest to determine who the tenant's heir was and what lands they inherited. The Crown could then claim wardship, which meant that they would have control over the heir's property until they reached adulthood.

The Court of Wards and Liveries was abolished in 1660 due to its unpopularity and the oppressive tenures upon which it was founded.