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Bote

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia · John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia

BOT.

A recompense or compensation. The common word to boot comes from this word.

Cowell.

The term is applied as well to making repairs in houses, bridges, etc., as to making a recompense for slaying a man or stealing property. House bote, materials which may be taken to repair a house; hedge bote, to repair hedges; brig bote, to repair bridges; man bote, compensation to be paid by a murderer. It was this system of bot and wer, resting upon blood-feud and upon outlawry, which was the ground work of the Anglo-Saxon criminal law; 2 Holdsw.

Hist. E. L. 36.

Bote is known to the English law also under the name of Estover; 1 Washb. R. P. *99; 2 Bla. Com. 35. The tenant for life was entitled to take reasonable "botes" and "estovers," without committing waste.

3 Holdsw. Hist. E. L. 105.