DUPLEX VALOR MARITAGII

 

 

 

duplex  valor  maritagii  (d[y]oo-pleks  val-<<schwa>>r  mar-<<schwa>>-tay-jee-I),  n.[Law

Latin “double the value of a marriage”] Hist. A ward’s forfeiture of double the value of a marriage

made  without  the  guardian’s  consent.  •  In  the  quotation  that  follows,  Blackstone  uses  the

accusative form (duplicem valorem maritagii) because the phrase follows the verb forfeited.

“For,  while  the  infant  was  in  ward,  the  guardian  had  the  power  of  tendering  him  or  her  a

suitable  match,  without disparagement, or inequality: which if  the infants refused, they  forfeited

the value of the marriage … to their guardian; that is, so much as a jury would assess, or any one

would bona fide give to the guardian for such an alliance: … and, if the infants married themselves

without the guardian’s consent, they forfeited double the value, duplicem valorem maritagii. This

seems to have been  one  of the  greatest hardships of our  ancient tenures.” 2 William Blackstone,

Commentaries on the Laws of England 70 (1766). [Blacks Law 8th]