Court of Wards

The Court of Wards was an English court of record that operated under the feudal system. Its primary function was to oversee estates held by the Crown. This included managing the transfer of these estates from a deceased tenant to their heir and ensuring the payment of taxes and rents due to the Crown from these holdings.1

This court was one of several financial courts established during the reign of Henry VIII, alongside others like the Court of Augmentations, the Court of General Surveyors, and the Court of First Fruits and Tenths. These courts were created to give the crown better control over its lands and finances. The Court of Wards was specifically established to handle moneys owed to the king as a feudal lord and to protect certain rights related to marriage and wardship. It remained separate until it was abolished in 1660.2