Legal Definitions - propriety

Historically, in a legal context, propriety referred to the concept of private ownership or the actual possessions and property held by an individual.

Here are some examples illustrating this historical legal term:

• Imagine a medieval lord who held vast tracts of land, including forests, fields, and a manor house. These lands and all the resources within them were considered his propriety, meaning they were his private possessions and under his exclusive control, subject to the feudal system's specific rules.

  This illustrates propriety as the private ownership of significant real estate and its associated assets.

• Consider a craftsman in a bustling 17th-century market town. The tools in his workshop, the raw materials he used, and the finished goods he produced for sale were all his personal propriety. He had the right to use, sell, or dispose of these items as he saw fit, reflecting his private ownership.

  Here, propriety refers to the private ownership of movable goods and personal effects used for livelihood.

• Upon the death of a wealthy merchant in the 18th century, all his accumulated wealth – including his house, his ships, his investments, and his personal belongings – would collectively be referred to as his propriety. The distribution of this entire estate among his heirs would then be governed by the laws pertaining to private property and inheritance.

  This example demonstrates propriety as encompassing an individual's entire collection of privately owned assets and possessions, particularly in the context of inheritance.