Magna Charta
    n 1: the royal charter of political rights given to rebellious
         English barons by King John in 1215 [syn: Magna Carta,
         Magna Charta, The Great Charter]

Magna Carta \Mag"na Car"ta\, Magna Charta \Mag"na Char"ta\ [L.,
   great charter.]
   1. The great Charter, so called, obtained by the English
      barons from King John, A. D. 1215. This name is also given
      to the charter granted to the people of England in the
      ninth year of Henry III., and confirmed by Edward I.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence, a fundamental constitution which guaranties rights
      and privileges.
      [1913 Webster]

MAGNA CHARTA. The great charter. The name of an instrument granted by King 
John, June 19, 1215, which secured to the English people many liberties 
which had before been invaded, and provided against many abuses which before 
rendered liberty a mere name. 
     2. It is divided into thirty-eight chapters,: 1. To the which relate as 
follows, namely: freedom of the church and ecclesiastical persons. 2. To the 
nobility, knights' service, &c. 3. Heirs and their being in ward. 4. 
Guardians for heirs within age, who are to commit no waste. 5. To the land 
and other property of heirs, and the delivery of them up when the heirs are 
of age. 6. The marriage of heirs. 7. Dower of women in the lands of their 
husbands. 8. Sheriffs and their bailiffs. 9. To the ancient liberties of 
London and other cities. 10. To distress for rent. 11. The court of common 
pleas, which is to be located. 12. The assize on disseisin of lands. 13. 
Assizes of darein presentments, brought by ecclesiastics. 14. The amercement 
of a freeman for a fault. 15. The making of bridges by towns. 16. Provisions 
for repairing sea banks and sewers. 17. Forbids sheriffs and coroners to 
hold pleas of the crown. 18. Prefers the king's debt when the debtor dies 
insolvent. 19. To the purveyance of the king's house. 20. To the 
castleguard. 21. To the manner of taking property for public use. 22. To the 
lands of felons, which the king is to have for a year and a day, and 
afterwards the lord of the fee. 23. To weirs which are to be put down in 
rivers. 24. To the writ of praecipe in capite for lords against tenants 
offering wrong, &c. 25. To measures. 26. To inquisitions of life and member, 
which are to be granted freely. 27. To knights' service and other ancient 
tenures. 28. To accusations, which must be under oath. 29. To the freedom of 
the subject. No freeman shall be disseised of his freehold, imprisoned and 
condemned, but by judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. 30. To 
merchant strangers, who are to be civilly treated. 31. To escheats. 32. To 
the power of selling land by a freeman, which is limited. 33. To patrons of 
abbeys, &c. 34. To the right of a woman to appeal for the death of her 
husband. 35. To the time of holding courts. 36. To mortmain. 37. To escuage 
and subsidy. 88. Confirms every article of the charter. See a copy of Magna 
Charta in 1 Laws of South Carolina; edited by Judge Cooper, p. 78. In the 
Penny Magazine for the year 1833, page 229, there is a copy of the original 
seal of King John, affixed to this instrument, and a specimen of a facsimile 
of the writing of Magna Charta, beginning at the passage, Nullus liber homo 
capietur vel imprisonetur, &c. A copy of both may be found in the Magazin 
Pittoresque, for the year 1834, p. 52, 53. Vide 4 Bl. Com. 423.