Legal Definitions - feoffee

Definition: A feoffee is someone who receives an estate in fee simple or a fief. In history, it referred to a person who held legal title to land for the benefit of another, known as a cestui que use. This is also known as a feoffee to uses. It is similar to a trustee.

• When John inherited his father's land, he became the feoffee of the estate.
• In medieval times, a lord would grant land to a feoffee to hold for the use of a vassal.
• A feoffee to uses would hold legal title to land for the benefit of a church or charity.

These examples illustrate how a feoffee was someone who held legal title to land for the benefit of another person or entity. It was a common practice in medieval times when land ownership was closely tied to social status and power. The feoffee would be responsible for managing the land and ensuring that it was used according to the wishes of the cestui que use.