Legal Definitions - secta ad molendinum

Definition: Secta ad molendinum is a legal term that refers to a writ that forces a person to continue grinding corn at a particular mill or provide a good reason why the custom should not be continued.

For example, if people in a particular area have been grinding their corn at a certain mill for a long time, and one of them decides to go to another mill, the owner of the original mill can use a writ de secta ad molendinum to force that person to continue grinding their corn at the original mill or provide a good reason why they should not.

This writ was used in England in the past to protect the rights of mill owners and ensure that they were not unfairly deprived of their customers. It allowed them to maintain their business and livelihood by ensuring that people continued to use their mill.