Legal Definitions - yeven

Yeven is a historical legal term that means given or dated. It was commonly used in older legal documents to indicate either the act of bestowing something (a grant, a gift, a decree) or to specify the date on which a document was formally executed or issued.

Here are some examples illustrating its use:

• Example 1: Historical Land Grant

  An ancient charter might read, "To all whom these presents shall come, know ye that we have yeven and granted unto Sir Alistair, his heirs and assigns, the lands of Glenwood, yeven on the third day of March, in the year of our Lord 1420."

  Explanation: In this context, the first "yeven and granted" signifies the act of formally bestowing or giving the land. The second "yeven on the third day of March" specifies the exact date when this grant was officially made and recorded.

• Example 2: Last Will and Testament

  A 16th-century will could conclude with the phrase, "This my last will and testament, yeven under my hand and seal, this twenty-fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord 1588."

  Explanation: Here, "yeven under my hand and seal" means that the will was formally executed or "given" its legal force by the testator's signature and seal on the specified Christmas Day.

• Example 3: Royal Proclamation

  A royal decree from the Tudor period might state, "By the King's grace, it is yeven that all subjects shall observe a day of fasting and prayer, yeven at our palace of Greenwich, the tenth day of April, 1534."

  Explanation: In this instance, "it is yeven that" means "it is decreed that" or "it is given as a command that," indicating the royal order. The subsequent "yeven at our palace of Greenwich" specifies the location and date of the proclamation's issuance.