Legal Definitions - legabilis

Legabilis is a historical legal term that refers to property or goods that could lawfully be transferred to another person through a last will and testament. Essentially, it describes assets that were eligible to be bequeathed or willed away by an individual upon their death.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of legabilis:

• Imagine a wealthy landowner in 16th-century England who possessed several parcels of agricultural land and a grand manor house. These real estate holdings would be considered legabilis because, according to the legal customs and statutes of the era, the landowner had the right to specify in their will which of their heirs, relatives, or other designated beneficiaries would inherit these properties upon their passing.

  This example illustrates legabilis because the land and manor house are assets that could be legally designated for transfer through a will.

• Consider a prominent merchant in 18th-century colonial America who owned a significant collection of valuable imported silks, spices, and a chest of rare coins. These specific items were legabilis because the merchant could, and often would, include detailed instructions in their will outlining which family members, business partners, or charitable organizations would receive these particular goods after their death.

  This example demonstrates legabilis as the silks, spices, and coins represent personal property that could be lawfully distributed via a will.

• In a medieval European village, a skilled artisan might own a workshop filled with specialized tools, a small dwelling, and a few valuable pieces of finished craftsmanship. These possessions were legabilis, meaning the artisan could create a will to ensure that their most cherished tools were passed down to an apprentice, their home to a spouse, and their finished works to their children, rather than having them distributed by default legal rules.

  This example highlights legabilis by showing how tools, a dwelling, and crafted goods were assets that an individual could direct the inheritance of through a will.