Legal Definitions - quare intrusit

Definition: Quare intrusit (kwair-ee in-troo-sit) is a legal term that refers to a writ used in the past to allow a lord to recover the value of a marriage. This writ was used when a lord offered a suitable marriage to a ward (a person under the lord's protection) but the ward rejected it and married someone else. The writ allowed the lord to recover the value of the marriage.

Example: For example, let's say Lord A had a ward named Jane. Lord A offered Jane a suitable marriage with a wealthy and influential man, but Jane rejected the offer and married someone else. Lord A could then use the quare intrusit writ to recover the value of the marriage he had offered to Jane.

Explanation: The example illustrates how the quare intrusit writ was used in the past to protect the interests of lords who had wards under their protection. If a ward rejected a suitable marriage offered by the lord and married someone else, the lord could use the writ to recover the value of the marriage he had offered. This helped to ensure that lords had some control over the marriages of their wards and could protect their own interests.