Introduction
Abstract
The introduction outlines the historical problem central to this book. Namely, the question of what it meant to possess. The question loomed large in the eighteenth century because more people owned more things (particularly moveable property), the social function of movable property was shifting and in the commercial age, the law was often uncertain as to what could be owned and how. The introduction shows how the book seeks to explore the problem of what it meant to possess by examining how people responded to the loss of possessions.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Medieval and Early Modern Justice
Historical Economic and Legal Thought
Legal principles and applications
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Pages
- 1–26
- Publication date
- 31 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter