Legal Definitions - de consanguineo

De consanguineo (dee kon-sang-gwin-ee-oh) is a legal term that refers to a writ used by an heir to secure the right to land held by a great-great-grandfather or certain collateral relatives. It is also known as cosinage or cousinage. This writ was used in historical times and is not commonly used today.

For example, if a person wanted to claim the seisin (possession) of their uncle's land, they would use the Mort d'Ancestor writ. However, if they wanted to claim the seisin of a first cousin's land, they would use the Cosinage writ. These writs were used to establish the right to inherit land from certain relatives.

Another example of the use of de consanguineo is when an heir wanted to claim the right to land held by their great-great-grandfather. This writ was used to establish the right to inherit land from more distant relatives.

These examples illustrate how de consanguineo was used in historical times to establish the right to inherit land from certain relatives. It was an important legal tool for heirs to secure their inheritance.