novel disseisin

law

Also known as: novel disseizin

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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Novel disseisin was an ancient legal remedy in English law, abolished in 1833. It was used to recover land from which an owner had been recently and wrongfully dispossessed, or "disseised". The term "disseisin" originates from Anglo-French and means to be put out of possession of land.12

A related legal term, "postdisseisin," referred to a second wrongful dispossession of land by the same person who had previously been removed through a novel disseisin action, or the writ used to address this situation.3

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adverse possession
…known as the assize of novel disseisin. If the land held by a disseisor was claimed by an heir of the original owner in seisin, the heir could bring a similar legal action known as the assize of mort d’ancestor. After the 17th century more expeditious legal actions were developed.
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…known as the assize of novel disseisin. If the land held by a disseisor was claimed by an heir of the original owner in seisin, the heir could bring a similar legal action known as the assize of mort d’ancestor. After the 17th century more expeditious legal actions were developed.
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Assize of Northampton
…ordered to hear pleas of novel disseisin (an action to recover lands of which the plaintiff had been dispossessed) arising since May 1175 and to try proprietary actions commenced by the king’s writ for the recovery of land held by the service of half a knight’s fee or less.
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…ordered to hear pleas of novel disseisin (an action to recover lands of which the plaintiff had been dispossessed) arising since May 1175 and to try proprietary actions commenced by the king’s writ for the recovery of land held by the service of half a knight’s fee or less.
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Henry II
Reign
This was the writ of Novel Disseisin (i.e., recent dispossession). This writ was returnable; if the sheriff failed to achieve reinstatement, he had to summon the defendant to appear before the King’s justices and himself be present with the writ. A similar writ of Mort d’Ancestor decided whether the ancestor…
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This was the writ of Novel Disseisin (i.e., recent dispossession). This writ was returnable; if the sheriff failed to achieve reinstatement, he had to summon the defendant to appear before the King’s justices and himself be present with the writ. A similar writ of Mort d’Ancestor decided whether the ancestor…
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assize
…those of mort d’ancestor and novel disseizin. The former was an action to recover lawfully inherited land taken by another before the heir was able to take possession; the latter was an action to recover lands of which the plaintiff had been dispossessed.
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…those of mort d’ancestor and novel disseizin. The former was an action to recover lawfully inherited land taken by another before the heir was able to take possession; the latter was an action to recover lands of which the plaintiff had been dispossessed.
Read More