Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: BREDWITE
Definition: Bredwite is a punishment that was given in the past when someone did not follow the rules about how much bread they were supposed to make. It was a way to make sure that people were making enough bread and not cheating others by giving them less than they should.
BREDWITE
Bredwite (bred-wət) is a historical penalty for not following regulations regarding the weight or quantity of bread.
During medieval times, bakers were required to follow strict regulations when it came to the weight and quality of bread. If a baker was found to be selling bread that was underweight, they would be fined a bredwite. For example, if a baker was supposed to sell a loaf of bread that weighed 2 pounds but instead sold a loaf that weighed only 1.5 pounds, they would be fined a bredwite.
Another example of a bredwite would be if a baker was caught using subpar ingredients in their bread. For instance, if a baker was supposed to use high-quality flour but instead used a cheaper, lower-quality flour, they would be fined a bredwite.
These examples illustrate how bredwite was used as a penalty for bakers who did not follow regulations regarding the weight and quality of bread. It was a way to ensure that bakers were providing their customers with bread that was of a certain standard.