Legal Definitions - manuopus

manuopus

Historically, manuopus referred to the act of being caught with stolen goods in hand or in one's immediate possession. It is closely related to the term mainour, which describes the stolen property itself when found on the thief. Being apprehended with the manuopus meant the evidence of the crime was literally in the perpetrator's hands, making the theft undeniable.

• Example 1: Imagine a medieval market where a person is observed slipping a small silver trinket into their cloak. A guard immediately apprehends them, finding the trinket still clutched in their hand.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates manuopus because the stolen trinket was found directly in the person's hand at the moment of apprehension, providing clear and immediate evidence of the theft.

• Example 2: In a historical context, if a farmer's prize chicken was stolen, and a neighbor was later found walking down the road carrying that very chicken, still alive and struggling, the neighbor would be considered to have been caught with the manuopus.

  Explanation: The chicken, being the stolen property, was found directly in the neighbor's immediate possession, making it a clear instance of being caught with the stolen goods in hand.

manupes

Manupes is a historical legal term referring to a specific unit of measurement, equivalent to a full 12-inch foot. It was used in certain historical legal contexts, particularly for land measurement or construction specifications.

• Example 1: A land survey document from the 15th century might describe a property boundary as extending "one hundred manupes to the east from the riverbank."

  Explanation: Here, manupes serves as a precise historical unit, indicating a distance of 100 feet (each foot being 12 inches) for defining property lines in a legal document.

• Example 2: A historical building contract for constructing a new church might specify that the foundation walls must be "three manupes thick."

  Explanation: In this context, manupes dictates the exact thickness of the structural components, ensuring the church's construction adhered to the agreed-upon standards of three feet.