DROITS OF ADMIRALTY

droits of  admiralty  (droyts),  n.  The  Lord  High  Admiral’s rights in  connection  with  the  sea,

such as the right to recover proceeds from shipwrecks, enemy goods confiscated at the beginning

of  hostilities,  jetsam,  flotsam,  treasure,  deodand,  fines,  forfeitures,  sturgeons,  whales,  and  other

large  fishes.  •  The  droit  proceeds  are  paid  to  the  Exchequer’s  office  for  the  public’s  use.  See

PRIZE(2).

“The crown had originally certain rights to property found upon the sea, or stranded upon the

shore. The chief kinds of property to which the crown was thus entitled were, great fish (such as

whales or porpoises), deodands, wreck of the sea, flotsam, jetsam, and lagan, ships or goods of the

enemy found in English ports or captured by uncommissioned vessels, and goods taken or retaken

from pirates …. After the rise of the court of Admiralty the Lord High Admiral became entitled to

these droits by royal grant …. The right to droits carried with it a certain jurisdiction. Inquisitions

were held into these  droits at the  ports,  or the  Vice-Admirals or droit gatherers reported them to

the Admiral. The large terms of the Admiral’s Patents incited them, or their grantees, to frequent

litigation with private persons or other grantees of the crown …. The Admiralty droits … are now

transferred  to  the  consolidated  fund.”  1 William  Holdsworth,  A  History  of  English  Law 559–61

(7th ed. 1956). [Blacks Law 8th]