1. The act of conveying a freehold estate; a grant of land in fee simple.
— Also termed feoffment with livery of seisin.
2. The land so granted.
3. The charter that transfers the land. — Also written enfeoffment.
— Also termed deed of feoffment. [Cases: Deeds 21. C.J.S. Deeds §§ 12–13.]
feoffment to uses. An enfeoffment of land to one person for the use of a third party. • The feoffee was bound in conscience to hold the land according to the prescribed use and could derive no benefit from the holding.
“Conveyances of freehold land could originally be made only by a feoffment with livery of seisin. This was a solemn ceremony carried out by the parties entering on the land, and the feoffor, in the presence of witnesses, delivering the seisin to the feoffee either by some symbolic act, such as handing him a twig or sod of earth, or by uttering some words such as ‘Enter into this land and God give you joy’ and leaving him in possession of the land.” Robert E. Megarry & H.W.R. Wade, The Law of Real Property 47 (5th ed. 1984).
