Legal Definitions - congeable

Congeable

This historical legal term refers to something that was considered lawful or permissible under the prevailing laws, customs, or authorities of a particular time. It describes actions, rights, or practices that were legally sanctioned or allowed.

• Example 1: In a medieval manor, a peasant's right to gather fallen wood from the lord's forest for personal use might have been deemed congeable if it was an established custom explicitly recognized and permitted by the manorial court or the lord's charter. This meant the act was a lawful and permissible activity for the peasant.

  Explanation: The act of gathering wood was congeable because it was legally allowed and sanctioned by local custom or authority, making it a permissible action rather than an act of theft.

• Example 2: During a period when certain trades were highly regulated by guilds, a craftsman's decision to sell specific goods outside the designated market square would only be congeable if they had obtained a special license or dispensation from the guild masters or town council. Without such permission, the sale would be unlawful.

  Explanation: Here, "congeable" illustrates that selling goods in an alternative location was only permissible after securing the necessary legal authorization from the governing bodies, making the action lawful.

• Example 3: Historically, the construction of a new mill on a river might only have been congeable if the builder secured explicit permission from the crown or a local baron, especially if it affected existing water rights or navigation. This permission made the construction project legally permissible.

  Explanation: The construction was congeable because it required and received official legal approval from a higher authority, thereby making the activity lawful and allowed.