A possessory *assize which sought to find the rightful claimant of a property, a case which could easily be initiated by a writ from *chan-cery. The question to be answered by a jury brought together by the *sheriff and in the presence of a *justice-in-eyre was whether or not the claimant had the right to the property from which he had been evicted, i.e. disseised. It was a part of the much increased business of the royal justice system during the reign of Henry II. This procedure might have been used when a pilgrim returned home to find his land occupied by someone without title. -
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.