Livery of Seisin Law and Legal Definition
Livery of seisin means "transfer of possession”. It is an ancient ceremony for conveyance of land by the symbolic transfer of a relevant item or by the symbolic entry of the transferee. The relevant item can be a key, twig, or turf. A livery of seisin was essential to convey land from one party to another. In addition to delivering possession of the land, the transferor needed to vacate the land in livery seisin. The transferor’s tenants and others living on the land are expelled, along with their possessions.
