Thomas Craig on the origin and development of feudal law

Dodd, Leslie

Abstract

When Thomas Craig (c.1538-1608) wrote his great treatise on Scottish feudal practice, the Jus feudale, he devoted a considerable part of the first book to legal origins. This article deals with Craig’s treatment narrative on the origins of feudal law and tenure in the fourth and fifth titles of the first book. By close examination of the text, the detailed formulation of Craig’s argumentation and technique is uncovered as well as the myriad classical, mediaeval and humanist sources upon which his literary project was based. In this way, the deep relationship between Craig – and by extension Scots law – and the historico-legal product of the French legal humanists is explored.

Citation

Dodd, L. (2019). Thomas Craig on the origin and development of feudal law. Legal History Review / Revue d'Histoire du Droit / Tijdschrift voor Rechtsgeschiedenis, 87(1-2), 86-127. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718190-08712P04

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 13, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jun 18, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Deposit Date: Jun 24, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 19, 2020
• Journal: Legal History Review
• Print ISSN: 0040-7585
• Electronic ISSN: 1571-8190
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 87
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 86-127
• Series ISSN: 1571-8190
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718190-08712P04
• Keywords: Thomas Craig; feudal law; Scottish legal history; Jus feudale; Tacitus; legal humanism; feudalism
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1906550
• Publisher URL: https://brill.com/abstract/journals/lega/87/1-2/article-p86_4.xml