+Source.+--_Statutes of the Realm_, vol. i., p. 51.
The King to his justices "de Banco," greeting.
Although it was previously ordained that ecclesiastics should not enter
on possession of the fees of others without the licence and permission
of the lords-in-chief, from whom these fees are directly held, yet
ecclesiastics have up to now continued to take possession of their own
fees as well as those of others, appropriating and buying them for
themselves, and sometimes receiving them by gift from others, as a
result of which the services due from such fees, which have been from
all time applied to the defence of the kingdom, are unjustly withdrawn,
and lords-in-chief lose their escheats; therefore we, wishing to provide
a proper remedy in the interest of the kingdom, hereby, with the advice
of the prelates, Earls, and other lieges of our council, provide,
decree, and ordain that no ecclesiastic or other person shall buy or
sell, or, under pretext of a donation, or lease, or other title
whatsoever, shall receive from anyone, or in any way appropriate, by
guile or craft, lands or tenements, in such a way that the said lands
and tenements may fall to the dead hand, under pain of forfeiture of the
same.
We decree, further, that if any ecclesiastic or other person contravene
the present statute in any way, by guile or craft, it shall be lawful
for us and for other immediate lords-in-chief of a fee so alienated, to
enter it within a year of such alienation, and to hold it in fee and as
an inheritance. And if the immediate lord be negligent, and fail to
enter upon possession of such a fee within a year, then it shall be
lawful for the nearest mediate lord of that fee to enter upon and hold
that fee, as aforesaid, within the space of half a year following; and
so may every mediate lord do, if the lord nearest to him be negligent in
entering upon possession, as aforesaid.
And should all the other lords-in-chief (such as be of full age, and
within the four seas, and out of prison) be negligent or remiss for one
year, we ourselves, after the lapse of a complete year when purchases,
donations, or other appropriations of this kind ought to have been made,
shall take such lands and tenements into our own hands, and shall
enfeoff others on them to do certain fixed services to us for the
defence of our realm; saving to the lords-in-chief of those fees,
wardships, escheats, and other incidents belonging to them, and the due
and accustomed services. And we command you to cause the aforesaid
statute to be read in your presence, and henceforth to be firmly held
and observed.
Witness the King, at Westminster, on the fifteenth day of November, in
the seventh year of his reign.