LW'ERY, in English law, denotes the act of giving or taking possession. It is most frequently used in the phrase " livery of seisin," corresponding to the Scotch infeftment or sasine.
ERY (from Lat. liberatio), a word applied in its origin to the custom which pre vailed under the Merovingian and Carlovingian kings, of delivering splendid habits to the members of their households on great festivals. In the days of chivalry the wearing of livery was not, as now, confined to domestic servants. The duke's son, as page to the prince, wore the prince's livery, the earl's sou bore the duke's colors and badge, the son of the esquire wore the livery of the knight, and the son of the gentleman that of the osquire. Cavaliers wore the livery of their mistresses. There was also a large class of armed retainers in livery attached to many of the more powerful nobles, who were -engaged expressly to use the strong hand in their master's quarrels. 13y the colors and badge of the retainer was known the master under whom he served. The livery colors of a family are taken from their armorial bearings, being generally the tincture of the teld and that of the principal charge, or the two tinctures of the field are taken instead, where it has two. They are taken from the first quarter in case of a quartered shield. These same colors are alternated in the wreath (q.v.) on which the crest stands. The
royal family of England have sometimes adopted colors varying from the tinctures of the arms. The Plantagenets had scarlet and white; the house of York, murrey and blue; white and blue were adopted by the house of Lancaster; white and green by the Tudors; yellow and red by the Stuarts, aud by William III.; and scarlet aud blue by the house of Hanover. An indispensable part of the livery in former times was the badge (q.v.) The church of Rome has its liveries for apostles, confessors, martyrs, virgins, and penitents.
The freemen of the 91 guilds or corporations which embrace the different trades of London, arc called liverymen, because entitled to wear the livery of their respective companies. In former times the wardens of the companies were in use yearly to deliver to the lord mayor certain sums, 20 shillings of which was given to individuals who petitioned for the money, to enable them to procure sufficient cloth for a suit, and the companies prided themselves on the splendid appearance which their liveries made in the civic train. The common councilmen, sheriffs, aldermen, and some other superior officers of the city are elected by the liverymen of London; and till the reform bill in 1832, they had the exclusive privilege of voting for members of parliament for the city.