Legal Definitions - infangthief

Definition: Infangthief (in-fang-theef) is a historical term that refers to the privilege held by a lord of a manor to try and deal summarily with a thief captured on the lord's land, especially a thief captured with plunder. It comes from the Old English words "in" meaning "in," "fangen" meaning "taken," and "theof" meaning "thief." Infangthief is also spelled infangthef and is related to the term outfangthief.

During medieval times, lords of manors had the power of infangthief, which meant they could capture and punish thieves who stole from their land. For example, if a thief was caught stealing a sheep from a lord's field, the lord could hold a trial and punish the thief without involving the local authorities.

Another example of infangthief in action is when a lord's bailiff caught a thief stealing from a market stall on the lord's land. The bailiff could take the thief to the lord's court and punish them according to the lord's laws.

These examples illustrate how infangthief was a powerful tool for lords to maintain order and protect their property. It allowed them to deal with thieves quickly and efficiently without relying on outside authorities.