Legal Definitions - de theolonio

de theolonio refers to a historical legal action, specifically a type of writ of trespass, that was available to an individual who was unlawfully obstructed or prevented from collecting a toll they were legally entitled to receive. In historical contexts, tolls were often levied for the use of roads, bridges, ferries, or for the right to sell goods in a market. This writ provided a legal remedy for those whose right to collect such a fee was infringed upon.

• Imagine a medieval lord who owned a vital bridge connecting two towns. He had a royal charter granting him the right to collect a toll from all merchants and travelers crossing his bridge. If a rival baron or a group of bandits unlawfully blocked access to the bridge, preventing the lord's toll collectors from operating and thus depriving him of his rightful income, the lord could have sought a de theolonio writ. This writ would initiate a legal process to address the trespass and restore his ability to collect the toll.

• Consider a town's guild master in the 14th century, who, by local custom and law, was entitled to collect a small fee (a toll) from every vendor setting up a stall in the town square during market days. If a powerful merchant, perhaps from another town, decided to set up his own competing market just outside the town walls, or actively intimidated vendors from paying the guild master's toll, the guild master could have pursued a de theolonio writ. This would be a legal challenge against those unlawfully interfering with his established right to collect market tolls.

• Picture a ferryman operating a crucial river crossing in the 17th century, holding a legitimate license to charge a fee for transporting people and goods. If a competing, unlicensed ferryman began operating nearby, actively diverting traffic and preventing the licensed ferryman from collecting his established tolls, the licensed ferryman could have sought a de theolonio writ. This legal action would aim to stop the unlawful interference and protect his exclusive right to collect tolls at that crossing.