Definition
In old English law, a threat or menace. The term appears in early legal proceedings as a ground for complaint or as an element of conduct giving rise to legal action, corresponding to what modern law addresses under doctrines of duress, coercion, menace, or criminal threatening.
Why It Matters in Research
MANASSE is a Law French term appearing in early English legal records. Researchers encountering it in medieval or early modern English sources — plea rolls, Year Books, or proceedings of that period — should recognize it as equivalent to what later common law sources call "menace" or "threat." The term drops out of active legal use well before the modern period, so it will appear almost exclusively in historical materials. Researchers working backward from modern doctrines of duress, intimidation, or threatening conduct to their medieval antecedents may encounter MANASSE as the operative term in the older sources. It should not be confused with the substantive doctrine itself — the word names the conduct, not a formal cause of action bearing that label. Cross-referencing against entries for MENACE and DURESS will help bridge the terminological gap across periods.
Historical Dictionary Support
Burrill's Law Dictionary is the sole shelf source covering this term and treats it concisely: "L. Fr. In old English law. Menace; threat." The citation given is Keilw. 52 b, referring to Keilwey's Reports, a collection of Year Book-style cases from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. That citation is the anchoring primary source for the term's documented use. Burrill offers nothing beyond the gloss and citation, which is consistent with the term's status as an archaic Law French word rather than a developed legal doctrine. No other historical dictionary in the standard reference shelf — not Bouvier, not Black's, not Jacob's Law Dictionary — appears to carry this entry, which underscores how narrowly the term belongs to specialist historical research rather than general legal practice. Researchers should treat Burrill's definition as complete for descriptive purposes but should consult Keilwey directly for any substantive doctrinal content the term may carry in context.
Jurisdictional Note
MANASSE is a term of old English law with no recognized counterpart in American or modern Commonwealth legal usage. It is not a term of art in any current jurisdiction. Its relevance is confined to historical English legal materials, primarily pre-modern plea and Year Book sources.