A TREATISE ON COPYHOLDS. 2617 BY CHARLES WATKINS, OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE, ESQ. BARRISTER AT LAW, THE SECOND EDITION, Corrected and much enlarged from the Author's Papers: BY ROBERT STUDLEY VIDAL, OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE, ESQ. F. S. A.-THE AUTHOR'S EXECUTOR. To this Edition is also added an Appendix of Manorial VOL. I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR W. CLARKE AND SONS, LAW BOOKSELLERS, PREFACE. IN N presenting to the public a new and improved edition of the late Mr. Watkins's Treatise on Copyholds, I do not feel it necessary for me to say much in the way of preface. To expatiate in detail on the merits of a work, which, even in a first edition, has met with the most flattering reception from the profession at large, and occasionally been noticed with peculiar approbation, by men so eminently distinguished for their intimate acquaintance with the laws of property, as Mr. BUTLER and Mr. PRESTON, would surely be a most unnecessary waste both of time and of words. With regard, however, to the corrections and additions that are announced in the title page as having been derived from the author's papers, it inay not be amiss to remark, that they are by no means of a trivial nature, but, for the most part, of considerable importance, and, altogether, such as cannot fail to enhance his reputation, and add, in no small degrce, to the usefulness and authority of his work. In preparing this edition for the press, the course, which I had at first determined within myself to pursue, was to avoid, as far as possible, the introduction of any other additional matter than such as the author had himself evidently intended for insertion, and had left behind him in his own hand-writing; but at the urgent solicitation of the bookseller, seconded by the recommendation of some highly respectable professional friends, to whose judg ment it became me to pay every sort of deference, I have been induced so far to extend the limits of my plan, as to add a few supplementary notes, embracing the substance of all the more recently adjudged cases on the subject of copyholds, both at law and in equity, down to the present period. To prevent, however, the possibility of any thing, which I may have thus added, being confounded with the annotations or additional references of the author himself, I have caused it, in every instance, carefully to be inclosed within crotchets. Should it be thought, as, no doubt, by some it may, that this edition might have been brought forward to more advantage under the superintendance of a person of maturer judgment or greater practical experience, I have only to remark, that, feeling to its full extent the weight of the task, I could have been well content, as far as respects myself, to have committed the execution of it to abler hands, but that had I done so, I am certain that I should have acted in direct opposition to the wishes of a most excellent and highly valued friend, who, on quitting this world for a better, committed his papers and every thing else that he held most dear and valuable here on earth, in an especial manner to my care, and bad me to remember, that he did so in |