ABEYANCE, a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any ascertained one person, but awaits the appearance or determina tion of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or pos sibly may not vest. The freehold of a benefice, on the death of the incumbent, is said to be in abeyance until the next incumbent takes possession. A common use of the term is in the case of peerage dignities. If a peerage which passes to heirs-general, like the ancient baronies by writ, is held by a man whose heir at-law is neither a male, nor a woman who is an only child, it goes into abeyance on his death between two or more sisters or their heirs, and is held by no one till the abeyance is termi nated ; if eventually only one person represents the claims of all the sisters, he or she can claim the termination of the abey ance as a matter of right. The Crown can also call the peerage out of abeyance at any moment, on petition, in favour of any one of the sisters or their heirs between whom it is in abeyance. It is common, but incorrect, to speak of peerage dignities which are dormant (i.e., unclaimed) as being in abeyance. (See