Dignities - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition dignities

Definition :

Dignities, a species of incorporeal hereditament, in which a man may have a property or estate. As an incorporeal hereditament, a dignity was held to be 'land' within the meaning of s. 37 of the Settled Land Act, 1882 [Re Rivett-Carnac, (1885) 30 Ch D 136]. See now ss. 67 and 75 (5) of the Settled Land Act, 1925. Dignities were originally annexed to the possession of certain estates in land, and created by a grant of those estates; or, at all events, that was the most usual course. And although they are little more than personal distinctions, they are still classed under the head of real property; and as having relation to land, in theory at least, may be entailed by the Crown, within the Statute de Donis; or limited in remainder, to commence after the determination of a preceding estate-tail in the same dignity. See PEOPLE; PRECEDENCE.