Legal Definitions - green wax

Green wax refers to a historical legal document issued by the English Exchequer, which was the government department responsible for managing royal finances. This document, also known as an estreat, served as an official order directing a local sheriff to collect specific fines and monetary penalties (historically called amercements) that had been imposed by courts. The name "green wax" originated from the distinctive green sealing wax used by the Exchequer to authenticate these orders. Essentially, it was a formal command to a sheriff to collect money owed to the Crown from judicial penalties.

• Example 1: Collection of a petty offense fine
  Imagine a villager in medieval England was found guilty by a local court of allowing their livestock to stray onto common land, resulting in a small fine. Once this fine was recorded, the Exchequer would compile it with other similar penalties and issue a green wax order to the county sheriff. The sheriff would then be legally obligated to visit the villager and ensure the fine was paid, potentially seizing property if payment was refused. This illustrates how green wax was used to enforce the collection of even minor judicial penalties.

• Example 2: Enforcement of a feudal obligation penalty
  Consider a wealthy landowner who failed to provide the required number of knights for the King's service, a breach of their feudal duties. A royal court might impose a significant monetary penalty, an amercement, for this failure. To ensure this substantial sum was collected, the Exchequer would dispatch a green wax order to the sheriff of that county. The sheriff would then have the authority to demand payment from the landowner, demonstrating the use of green wax for collecting larger, more complex financial penalties related to feudal law.

• Example 3: Recovery of a fine for contempt
  Suppose a merchant was summoned to appear before a royal court but deliberately failed to attend, thus being held in contempt of court and fined. The court's record of this fine would be sent to the Exchequer. Subsequently, a green wax order would be issued to the sheriff, instructing them to collect the specified fine from the merchant. This shows how green wax was instrumental in enforcing judicial authority by ensuring that fines for non-compliance with court orders were effectively recovered.