Legal Definitions - sea reeve

A sea reeve was a historical official, typically appointed by a feudal lord, whose primary responsibility was to patrol the coastline and ensure the lord's legal rights over the sea and shore were upheld. This often included claiming any valuable goods or ship parts that washed ashore from shipwrecks, as these were considered the lord's property.

• Example 1: Securing Shipwrecked Goods

  Imagine a powerful storm devastates a merchant vessel near the coast of Lord Ashworth's estate. Barrels of wine, lengths of valuable timber, and other trade goods begin to wash onto the beaches. Lord Ashworth's appointed sea reeve would immediately dispatch a team to the shore to secure the wreckage. They would prevent local villagers from taking the goods and ensure all salvaged items were collected and stored for Lord Ashworth, asserting his legal right to the shipwrecked property.

  This illustrates the sea reeve's duty to enforce the lord's maritime rights, specifically the right to wreckage, by actively securing valuable items that washed ashore.

• Example 2: Controlling Coastal Resources

  Along a stretch of coastline controlled by Baroness Eleanor, local fishermen are observed regularly collecting large quantities of valuable seaweed and shellfish from the intertidal zone, which the Baroness considers her exclusive right to control for taxation or personal use. The Baroness's sea reeve would patrol these areas, warning the fishermen that they are infringing upon the Baroness's rights. They might establish rules for collection or even impose fines, ensuring that the Baroness's control over coastal resources is maintained.

  This demonstrates the sea reeve's role in watching the shore and enforcing a lord's broader maritime rights, beyond just shipwrecks, to include control over natural resources found along the coastline.

• Example 3: Resolving Territorial Disputes

  A large, valuable whale washes ashore on a remote beach. The land on either side is claimed by two different lords, Lord Blackwood and Lord Stonehaven, and both send their men to claim the carcass. The sea reeve for Lord Blackwood would arrive, armed with knowledge of the historical boundaries and the lord's specific rights to that section of the coast. They would assert Lord Blackwood's claim to the whale, potentially negotiating with or confronting Lord Stonehaven's representatives, acting as the primary enforcer of their lord's territorial maritime rights.

  This highlights the sea reeve's function in upholding a lord's specific territorial maritime rights, even in situations involving disputes with neighboring authorities, by actively asserting claims to valuable coastal finds.