The Origin and Early History of the Writs of Entry

Abstract

The writs of entry are of interest chiefly because they offer an example of how, in the first century of its history, the common law grew by the creation of new writs. The first writs of entry were among the earliest writs to be invented after the legal reforms of Henry II. Further writs of entry were created after 1217. The distinctive feature of a writ of entry was that it challenged what plaintiff thought was the basis of defendant's claim to the land in dispute. A writ of entry alleged that defendant “had no entry” into the land other than by a transaction or taking that did not authorize him to hold the land.