Testa De Nevil - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition testa-de-nevil

Definition :

Testa de nevil, an ancient document in two volumes, in the custody of the King's Remembrancer in the Exchequer, more properly called Liber Feodorum.

These books contain principally accounts (1) of fees holden either immediately of the king, or others who held of the king in capite, and if alienated whether the owners were in feoffed ab antiquo or de novo, as also fees holden in frankalmoigne, with the values thereof respectively; (2) of serjeanties holden of the king, distinguishing such as were rented or alienated, with the values of the same; (3) of widows, and heiresses of tenants in capite, whose marriages were in the gift of the king, with the values of their lands; (4) of churches in the gift of the king, and in whose hands they were; (5) of escheats, as well of the lands of Normans as others, in whose hands the same were, and by what services holden; (6) of the amount of the sums paid for scutage and aid, etc., by each tenant.

These volumes were printed in 1807, under the authority of the commissioners of the records of the realm.