Legal Definitions - comitatu et castro commisso

Comitatu et castro commisso is a historical legal writ, or formal order, that was issued to grant an individual, typically a sheriff, comprehensive authority over both a specific county (a geographical and administrative region) and its associated castle. This instrument was vital for central authorities, such as a monarch, to ensure unified control over territories, combining civil administration with military defense under a single appointed official. It effectively commissioned the recipient to manage the county's affairs and command the castle's forces.

• A King Appoints a New Governor for a Border Region: Imagine a 12th-century monarch needing to secure a strategically important border county that frequently faced threats from neighboring kingdoms. The king would issue a comitatu et castro commisso to a loyal and capable knight, formally appointing him as the new sheriff. This writ would empower the knight not only to oversee the collection of taxes, administer justice, and maintain peace within the county but also to take direct command of the royal castle located there, ensuring its defenses were strong and its garrison ready.
  This example illustrates how the writ served to consolidate both civil administrative power over a territory and military control over its key defensive structure under a single official, particularly in areas of strategic importance where unified command was crucial.
• Reasserting Royal Authority After a Rebellion: Consider a scenario where a local lord, who also managed a county and its primary castle, had recently engaged in a rebellion against the crown. Once the rebellion was suppressed, the monarch would dispatch a trusted royal official with a comitatu et castro commisso. This legal document would authorize the official to immediately assume full control of the county's governance, restore order, and take command of the castle's forces to ensure no further dissent and to firmly re-establish royal authority in the region.
  Here, the comitatu et castro commisso demonstrates its role in reasserting central authority and stabilizing a region by granting comprehensive administrative and military powers to a loyal representative after a period of unrest or disloyalty, ensuring swift and decisive control.