2 INQUISITIONES POST MORTEM FOR DORSET. 



When a person, whether male or female, died seized of lands in 

 capite, that is holding them from the Crown, a writ was issued to 

 the escheator of the county directing that an inquisition should be 

 held in order to ascertain of what lands he died seized, of whom 

 and by what services the same were held, when he died, and who 

 was his next heir. If the heir happened to be a minor the lands 

 descending to him were held in ward by the Crown till he came of 

 age. The wardship was generally a very lucrative business, because 

 the rents and profits of the estate went to the person having charge 

 of the heir till his coming of age, so that wardships were frequently 

 bought from the Crown for large sums of money. 



On the heir attaining his majority he had to sue out his 

 " ousterlemain ;" in other words he had to obtain delivery from the 

 Crown of the lands for which he was in ward after first proving 

 to the Court's satisfaction that he was of age. 



As may be expected payments of a very exacting nature were 

 extorted on all these occasions of death, proof of age, and delivery 

 of lands. 



It will be seen, therefore, from the above brief outline, that 

 Inquisitiones post mortem are very useful to genealogists of the 

 present day, because in them are recorded the most minute 

 particulars of the deceased's landed property ; names of manors long 

 since passed out of existence, field names, names of tenants, &c., 

 &c., are often given, likewise many interesting details as to the 

 services by which the property was held. The date of the 

 deceased's death, the heir's name, relationship, and age at time of 

 his predecessor's death are all stated on the oath of twelve men 

 appointed as a jury. 



Proceeding now to a few particulars respecting the Calendar of 

 Inquisitiones post mortem for Dorset, it should be remarked that 

 in 1806 it was ordered by Parliament that a calendar be printed 

 of the inquisitiones then kept in the Tower of London, but since 

 that date deposited in the Public Kecord Office. The outcome of 

 this order was that between 1806 and 1828 four large folio volumes 

 were issued under the direction of the Commissioners of Public 



