Legal Definitions - de ventre inspiciendo

Definition: De ventre inspiciendo (dee ven-tree in-spish-ee-en-doh) is a legal term that refers to a writ allowing a presumptive heir to summon a jury of matrons to verify the pregnancy of a widow suspected of feigning the pregnancy to produce a supposed heir. It can also refer to a writ providing a temporary stay of execution if a jury of matrons determines that a woman scheduled for execution and claiming pregnancy is "quick with child."

Example 1: In the past, if a widow was suspected of pretending to be pregnant to produce an heir, the heir presumptive could use a writ de ventre inspiciendo to examine whether she was actually pregnant or not. If she was found not to be pregnant, any child she produced later would be considered illegitimate.

Example 2: In 1358, a woman claiming to be pregnant and scheduled for execution could use a writ de ventre inspiciendo to request a jury of matrons to determine if she was "quick with child." If the jury found that she was, the execution would be postponed until after the birth. However, if the woman became pregnant again before the execution, she had no remedy.

These examples illustrate how de ventre inspiciendo was used in the past to verify pregnancy and ensure that heirs were legitimate. It also shows how the writ could be used to provide temporary stays of execution for pregnant women.