Legal Definitions - ann, jour, et wast

The term ann, jour, et wast is a Law French phrase that literally translates to "year, day, and waste." It refers to a historical legal right of the English Crown, primarily in feudal times, concerning land forfeiture.

When a tenant committed a felony (a serious crime like treason or murder) that resulted in the forfeiture of their land, the Crown had the prerogative to possess that land for a specific period of "a year and a day." During this time, the Crown was legally permitted to commit "waste" on the property. "Waste" in this context meant causing significant damage, destruction, or depletion of the land's resources, such as felling timber, dismantling buildings, or extracting minerals, thereby diminishing its value. After the year and a day had passed, the land would then revert or "escheat" to the immediate feudal lord from whom the tenant held the land, or sometimes directly to the Crown.

This right served as an additional punishment for the felon and a means for the Crown to extract value from the forfeited property before it passed to another lord.

• Example 1: A powerful baron, Lord Blackwood, is convicted of rebellion against the King. As a consequence, his vast estates are subject to the King's prerogative of ann, jour, et wast. For a year and a day, royal agents occupy Lord Blackwood's primary castle and surrounding lands. During this period, they systematically fell valuable timber from his forests, dismantle sections of his castle walls to reuse stone for royal fortifications elsewhere, and confiscate all livestock and movable goods. After the year and a day, the significantly diminished and damaged estate escheats to the Crown (or a new loyal lord).

  Illustration: This example directly demonstrates the Crown's temporary right of possession ("ann, jour") over a felon's property and the deliberate destruction or depletion of its value ("wast") before its ultimate forfeiture.

• Example 2: A tenant farmer, Agnes, who holds her land from a local knight, is found guilty of a serious felony, such as highway robbery. Although her land would normally revert to the knight, the King's right of ann, jour, et wast takes precedence. For the next year and a day, royal officials manage Agnes's farm. They harvest all crops without replanting, sell off her entire flock of sheep, and even remove the valuable lead from the roof of her farmhouse. After this period, the knight finally reclaims the land, finding it barren, dilapidated, and significantly less productive.

  Illustration: This scenario illustrates how the Crown's temporary control ("ann, jour") allowed for the systematic depletion of resources and physical damage ("wast") to a commoner's property as a punitive measure for a felony, before the land reverted to the immediate feudal lord.

• Example 3: In the 14th century, a minor nobleman, Sir Geoffrey, is convicted of a capital offense. His lands are subject to the King's right of ann, jour, et wast. During the year and a day, royal agents strip the manor of its furnishings, cut down the ancient orchard for firewood, and even divert a stream that powered the manor's mill to a neighboring royal property. When the period ends and the land is finally transferred to Sir Geoffrey's rightful heir (or a new tenant), they inherit a property that has been deliberately rendered much less valuable and productive due to the extensive "waste" committed by the Crown.

  Illustration: This example highlights the comprehensive nature of the "waste" that could be committed, encompassing not just physical destruction but also the depletion of resources and alteration of the land's utility, all within the specified temporary period of royal possession ("ann, jour").