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Message started by Jerry Eichenberger on 12/27/10 at 15:19:26

Title: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 12/27/10 at 15:19:26

I got thinking of some old stuff that we learned in a legal history class that I took.

1. Why is the document that is used to transfer real estate called a "deed", when that word usually is used to refer to an act someone does, like the Boy Scout who does his good deed for the day? It's because of the way land was transferred in old England, before the common person could read and write. The buyer and seller would meet on the subject land, and each would be accompanied by his youngest son, who had to be at least 8 years old. Then then buyer and seller would each cut a stout switch from a tree on the land, and then beat his respective kid to within an inch of his life. That way, the kids would remember the day that one father sold the land, and the other bought it. That was the "deed of transfer". Pity the poor kid whose father was a real estate developer.

2. What is the rule of thumb and arms length? That was the law in old England that said you could discipline your wife with a stick no bigger around than your thumb, nor longer than your arm. Anything bigger was considered beyond the bounds of normal wifely discipline.

3. When a woman in old England killed her child, why did they hang the husband? Because he failed in his duty to control his wife.

No kidding - these were the way the Brits did things back eons ago.

Mick - is that why you had so many wives? <g>.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by mick on 12/27/10 at 15:46:42

It's a good thing I didn't have my 6 wives all at once.
number 2 law, was still alive and well for us kids at school,the teacher
(all men) could put you in front of the class for a minor infraction ,like bitting a finger nail,chewing gum,speaking when not spoken to,1 to 6 canings, we are talking about the teacher holding a half inch by 3 foot bamboo cane, he would pull that back until level with his arse and come down full force on your hand ,often drawing blood,if a kid wept as some did, you get another one. and worst of all was a bad offence like the one I got busted for. I carried a air pistol to school,and during a mid-morning break my buddy and I sauntered over to the girls half of the school, I saw my sister in the cooking class with her friend who was my little true love, so I started to shoot at pots and pans that were hangin up, I turned around to see my pal standing there with a teacher ,our goose was cooked, the next morning after assembly ,we were marched onto the stage and given a dozen whacks
accross our arses ,in front of the whole school girls and boys.
I never so much as made a wimper,how could I ? my true love was watching ,somewhere out there. I lost my gun too.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 12/27/10 at 16:00:12

Mick -Cute story.

I never did get whacked in school - I feared my father too much, and knew what I would have gotten at home would have been far worse than any teacher could put out.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by bill67 on 12/27/10 at 16:25:32

There was no whacking in school when I went to school,My boy who is 37 now got ruffed up a little my a teacher in shop class,May be it was my kids fault I don't know,But the teacher was punished he got a week off with pay.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by runwyrlph on 12/27/10 at 17:11:29

I had a different answer for #2 "rule of thumb"

- in the old days when the miller (or whoever) would fill your flour sack ( or whatever) he would hold on to the top of the bag, fill until it reached his thumb- in other words using the thumb as a ruler.

seems to fit the current meaning of the term a little better

I have found there are often several possible etymologies for old sayings, etc.

English common law pretty interesting sometimes -

my favorite is when the pretty young widow got caught in adultery - she would lose title to her late husband's property unless she rode into court on a black ram and recited :

"Here I am,
Riding upon a black ram,
Like a sleeper as I am;
And for my crincum crancum
Have lost my bincum bancum,
And for my tail's game
Have done this worldly shame;
Therefore I pray you, Mr Steward,
Let me have my land again."

;D

p.s. looks like the site censors change " 'ho " to "sleeper" ;D ;D

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by ALfromN.H. on 12/27/10 at 17:15:25

I went to a catholic school with nuns as teachers and got the crap beat out of me regularly. They were a mean group of women. And they seemed to dislike little boys.

AL

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by Paladin. on 12/27/10 at 18:55:46

If you read about the actual laws read Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England (http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/blackstone.asp)

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 12/27/10 at 19:36:49

1. The buyer and seller would meet on the subject land, and each would be accompanied by his youngest son, who had to be at least 8 years old. Then then buyer and seller would each cut a stout switch from a tree on the land, and then beat his respective kid to within an inch of his life. That way, the kids would remember the day that one father sold the land, and the other bought it. That was the "deed of transfer". Pity the poor kid whose father was a real estate developer.

I would not be able to really celebrate that 8th B/day with a genuine smile.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by stinger on 12/28/10 at 00:30:28

Ha! Mick if you had done that sort of thing in this day and age, your face would have been plastered all over the TV and newspaper, probably making national news. Maybe some time in juvenile home for sure. Earlier this year in Oregon you might remember, they suspended this grade school kid from school just because he brought the little 3 inch plastic rifle from his GI Joe toy. Made all the news.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by odmanout on 12/28/10 at 06:22:16

On my first day of school, in kindergarten, I was talking to my best friend. The teacher told me to be quiet, and I said in innocence "Why? Your not my mother."
I was bent over a chair in the center of a circle of my peers, my pants taken down and given a few whacks on my underwear covered bum with a yard stick. I was branded a trouble-maker, something which followed me till I transferred schools after grade 11 and my school record was misplaced.
Maybe that's why I became a teacher!

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by mick on 12/28/10 at 13:31:57

40475A5D545641330 wrote:

that's true stinger but that was then,never heard of a school shooting.
Not in England anyway, a few months later my Dad did get my gun back. it was just a little Webley Mk 11 , 450 FPS.
of course I had to make many promises.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by mick on 12/28/10 at 13:39:37

one of my favorite laws that was still in effect when I left England,
was the wayfairers law, if you were traveling from one city to another looking for work,or were going to start a new job, any Inn keeper was obliged to give you a half pint of ale and a small amount of bread and cheese.if you had no money, been robbed or whatever reason,and if he would let you star in the horse stable for the night.
Don't try to make a habbit of it. >:(

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 12/28/10 at 13:46:51

Must still be lots of horse stables at inns, right?

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by Skid Mark on 12/28/10 at 16:34:45

Way back in Junior High School we had a teacher who has a uniquely painful dicipline. You would hold your hand out, palm up, to get wacked with a ruler. He would hold your wrist very tightly to keep your hand in the stricking zone. The actual wacks were not too painful, but when he let go of your wrist, holy moly, the pain would travel up your arm. The old boy commanded a lot of respect and he never administered the punishment unless deserved. 40 years later and the lessons are still remembered!!! :-[

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by Paladin. on 12/28/10 at 17:23:04

4D424E444F4249454255404255270 wrote:

Must still be lots of horse stables at inns, right?

In '82 when I went for a 5 weeks vacation on one of the Inns I stopped at. My motorcycle was parked in the stables.

Title: Re: A few old laws, before motorcycles
Post by mick on 12/28/10 at 17:32:05

2A25292328252E222532272532400 wrote:

Must still be lots of horse stables at inns, right?

they are smoking areas now I should think.
In London itself their are thousands of what used to be stables,they have been converted to Mews appartments or condo's,in the millions to buy. You should buy one Jerry for your little English get away from it all appartment.And if you insist I will be your caretaker free of charge.And when you come visit I will be your cheaf cook and bottle washer.