ADVOW, or Avow, Advocare, in law, to justify or maintain an act formerly done.
Thus, if one takes a distress for rent, or other thing, and he that is distressed sues a replevin; the distressor, justifying or maintaining the act, is said to avow. See DISTRESS, REPLEVY, etc.
Bracton uses the Latin term Advocare, in the same signification; as, Advocatio disseisinae, L.IV.c.26. And in Cassaneus de Consuet. Bur. Advocare is used in the like sense. The author last cited also uses the substantive Defavohamentum, for a disavowing, or refusing to avow. The original use of the word was this:—When stolen goods were bought by one, and sold to another, it was lawful for the rightful owner to take them wherever they were found; and he in whose possession they were found, was bound, Advocare, i.e., to produce the seller to justify the sale, and so on until they found the thief.
Afterwards, the term was applied to anything which a man acknowledged to be his own, or done by him; in which sense, it is mentioned in Fleta, L. I. pars 4. Si vir ipsum in domo sua susceperit, nutrierit & advocaverit filiis suis.
