Inquisitions Ad Hoc Damnum

Checking any implications of legal steps for the Crown

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Inquisitions Ad Hoc Damnum

Inquisitions ad quod damnum (meaning to what damage or according to the harm) were medieval English legal investigations ordered by the Crown. Their purpose was to find out if a proposed royal grant, land transfer, or local change would cause harm or financial loss to the king or to other local citizens.

Unlike the more widely known religious inquisitions designed to root out heresy, an ad quod damnum was entirely secular and administrative. Its core purpose was to ensure that a proposed royal grant or legal change would not cause loss or prejudice to the King, local lords, or the public.

The process followed a standardised bureaucratic pipeline managed by the royal administration. The Petition was the application by a subject, such as a lord, merchant, or religious house, to the King for a specific privilege or licence. The King's Chancery issued a formal writ of ad quod damnum to the local royal official, usually the sheriff of the county or an escheator. The sheriff convened a local jury of approved and legal men, usually 12 property owners from the district. They met under oath to investigate the practical impacts of the request. The jury's findings, known as the return, were sealed and sent back to Chancery. If the jury concluded no significant damage would occur, the King would issue the licence via Letters Patent.

Surviving records of these inquiries (primarily held in the C 143 series at The National Archives in Kew) are invaluable to historians.

Index of Inquisitions Ad Hoc Damnum

Inquisition Ad Quod Damnum, Part 1, Henry III to Edward III.

Inquisition Ad Quod Damnum, Part 2 with index to two parts, page 490 (Ightfield).