Demesne as of fee
DEMESNE AS OF FEE. A man is said to be seised in his demesne as of fee of a
corporeal inheritance, because he has a property dominicum or demesne in the
thing itself. 2 Bl. Com. 106. But when he has no dominion in the thing
itself, as in the case of an incorporeal hereditament, he is said to be
seised as of fee, and not in his demesne as of fee. Litt. s. 10; 17 S. & R.
196; Jones on Land Titles, i66.
2. Formerly it was the practice in an action on the case, e. g. for a
nuisance to real estate, to aver in the declaration the seisin of the
plaintiff in demesne as of fee; and this is still necessary, in order to
estop the record with the land; so that it may run with or attend the title.
Arch. Civ. Pl. 104; Co. Ent. 9, pl. 8 Lill. Ent. 62; 1 Saund. Rep. 346;
Willes, Rep. 508. But such an action may be maintained on the possession as
well as on the seisin, although the effect of the record in this case upon
the title would not be the same. Steph. on Pl. 322 Arch. Dig. 104; 1 Lutw.
12; 2 Mod. 71; 4 T. R. 718; 2 Saund. 1 Arch. Dig. 105; Cro. Car. 500. 575