Legal Definitions - abearance

Abearance refers to a person's behavior or conduct.

While largely archaic in modern legal language, it historically described the manner in which an individual carried themselves or acted, particularly when under an obligation to maintain a certain standard of conduct. It is most commonly found in historical legal texts and documents, often in phrases like "good abearance" or "peaceful abearance," indicating a requirement for appropriate behavior.

• Imagine a historical court case from the 18th century where an individual was released from custody after posting a bond. The court might have stipulated that the bond was conditional on their "good abearance" for a specified period. This meant the person had to maintain proper conduct and avoid any further unlawful acts, or they would forfeit the bond.

• Consider an old charter for a guild or a public office from several centuries ago. It might have included a clause requiring members or officeholders to demonstrate "honorable abearance" in their professional dealings and public life. This would have obligated them to act with integrity and uphold the reputation of their position or organization.

• In a historical community dispute, a local magistrate might have ordered two feuding neighbors to enter into a recognizance (a formal promise to the court) for "peaceful abearance" towards each other. This legally bound them to refrain from any aggressive or disruptive conduct that could disturb the peace of the neighborhood.