Infangthief and outfangthief facts for kids

Infangthief and Outfangthief were special rights given to powerful landowners, like feudal lords, and even some groups like abbeys and cities, in old England. These rights came from Anglo-Saxon law.

They allowed these lords to quickly punish thieves caught on their land. This punishment could even include putting the thief to death. These rights helped the lords keep order and showed their power. They were often mentioned in official documents, like royal charters, when land was granted.

What Was Infangthief?

Infangthief (which means "thief caught inside") was a right that let a landowner punish thieves caught right on their own property or manor. Sometimes, if a thief ran away, the lord could chase them into another area and bring them back for trial on their own land.

Over time, this right became more specific. By the 1200s, it mostly applied to a lord's "own thief." This meant people who were the lord's serfs (workers tied to the land) or staff. Also, the thief usually had to be caught in flagrante delicto (which means "in the act of committing the crime") or still have the stolen item with them.

What Was Outfangthief?

Outfangthief (meaning "thief caught outside") was a bit more complicated. It seems to have meant the right to try a thief who belonged to the lord, no matter where that thief was caught.

However, later legal books, like those from the 1200s, changed this meaning. They said outfangthief meant that if a thief was caught on a lord's land, that lord's court could try them, even if the thief didn't belong to that lord. It also meant a lord could hang his own men on his gallows if they were found guilty by another court.

Punishment and Benefits

When a thief was caught, the person who caught them had a choice. They could quickly put the thief to death, which was common for poor people. Or, they could "amerc" the thief, which meant letting them pay a fine to avoid the punishment. The amount of the fine depended on the thief's social rank.

These special rights were very useful for the lords. They made money from the fines, helped keep their estates orderly, and made the lords seem very powerful and important. These rights continued to be used even after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They slowly stopped being used around the time of King Edward III (in the 1300s), but some places, like Halifax, kept trying to use them for a long time after that.

An Example from History

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an old historical record, tells us about a time in 963 AD. King Edgar gave a special document to Bishop Æthelwold for the church (called a minster) in Medeshamstede (which is now Peterborough). This document included the right of "sack and sock, toll and team, and infangthief." This shows how important these rights were in grants of land and power.

See also

• Halifax Gibbet