Legal Definitions - demi-sangue

Demi-sangue is a historical legal term that literally translates to "half-blood." It refers to a relationship between individuals who share only one parent – either their father or their mother – but not both. This concept was historically significant in inheritance laws, where the distinction between "whole blood" (sharing both parents) and "half-blood" could affect a person's right to inherit property, titles, or other assets.

• Example 1: Paternal Half-Siblings

  Imagine a historical noble family where Lord Edward had two children, Arthur and Beatrice, with his first wife. After her passing, Lord Edward remarried and had another child, Charles, with his second wife. In this scenario, Arthur and Beatrice are full-blood siblings to each other. However, Charles is demi-sangue to Arthur and Beatrice because they all share the same father (Lord Edward) but have different mothers.

  This illustrates demi-sangue by showing individuals who are related through one parent (the father) but not the other, a distinction that could have impacted their respective claims to the family estate or title under historical laws.

• Example 2: Maternal Half-Siblings

  Consider a woman named Lady Eleanor who had a daughter, Diana, with her first husband. Later, after her first husband's death, Lady Eleanor married a second time and had a son, George, with her second husband. Diana and George are demi-sangue to each other. They share the same mother (Lady Eleanor) but have different fathers.

  This example demonstrates demi-sangue by highlighting a relationship where the common parent is the mother, again emphasizing the "half-blood" connection that was historically treated differently from a full-blood relationship in legal contexts.

• Example 3: Inheritance of a Title

  In the 17th century, Sir Reginald, a baron, died without any children from his marriage. His younger brother, Thomas, was his full-blood sibling. However, Sir Reginald's father had also had an illegitimate son, Robert, with another woman before his marriage to Sir Reginald's mother. While Robert was technically Sir Reginald's half-brother (sharing only their father), under the strict inheritance laws of the time, Robert would be considered demi-sangue and would likely have no claim to the barony compared to Thomas, the full-blood brother.

  This scenario illustrates how the demi-sangue distinction was crucial in determining succession, often excluding those with only a "half-blood" connection from inheriting titles or significant property, especially when full-blood relatives were present.