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Simple English definitions for legal terms
de bigamis
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A quick definition of de bigamis:
De Bigamis: A law from a long time ago that was about men who got married twice. It was named after the first words of the fifth chapter of the 4 Edw. st. 3 statute. A bigamus is someone who commits bigamy, which means they get married to two people at the same time. It can also mean a man who marries a widow or gets married again. If someone was a bigamus, they could be punished under church law.
A more thorough explanation:
De bigamis is a Latin term that means "concerning men twice married." It refers to the statute of 4 Edw. st. 3, which is named after the opening words of the fifth chapter. A bigamus is a person who commits bigamy, which is the act of marrying someone while still being legally married to someone else. In historical context, bigamus also referred to a man who married a widow or remarried. Under ecclesiastical law, a bigamus could be denied benefit of clergy.
Example 1: John married Mary, but he never got a divorce from his first wife. Later, he married Jane without telling her about his first marriage. John is a bigamist.
Example 2: After his first wife died, Henry married a widow named Anne. Henry is a bigamus according to historical usage of the term.
These examples illustrate the definition of bigamus as someone who commits bigamy or marries a widow/remarries. In both cases, the individuals were married to more than one person at the same time, which is illegal and considered a form of fraud. The term bigamus is not commonly used today, but it has historical significance in the context of marriage and the law.