Legal Definitions - venditor regis

Venditor regis (ven-də-tər ree-jis) is a Latin term used in history to refer to the king's seller. Specifically, it refers to the person who sold goods and chattels that had been seized or distrained to answer a debt owed to the king.

For example, if someone owed a debt to the king, their property could be seized and sold by the venditor regis to pay off the debt. This could include anything from livestock to furniture to land.

Another example would be if a merchant was caught smuggling goods into the country without paying taxes. The venditor regis could seize the smuggled goods and sell them to recoup the lost tax revenue.

These examples illustrate how the venditor regis was responsible for selling goods that had been seized or distrained to pay off debts owed to the king. It was an important role in ensuring that the king received the money owed to him and that justice was served.