Legal Definitions - resiance

Resiance is an archaic legal term that refers to a person's dwelling place or permanent home. In modern legal language, it is synonymous with "residence" or "abode."

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of resiance:

• Imagine a historical will from the 17th century. The document might begin by stating, "I, John Smith, of my resiance in the Parish of St. Giles, London, being of sound mind..."

  This illustrates resiance by clearly identifying John Smith's primary dwelling or home in London, establishing his identity and the location from which the will is made.

• Consider a medieval census or tax record. Such a document might list individuals along with their "place of resiance" to determine where they were liable for local taxes or military service.

  In this context, resiance refers to the specific physical location—a house, cottage, or manor—where a person habitually lived and could be found for official purposes.

• Picture a historical account describing a monarch's movements. It might state that "the King took up his resiance at Windsor Castle for the summer months."

  Here, resiance signifies Windsor Castle as the place where the King established his dwelling and lived during that specific period, even if it wasn't his only or most permanent home.