Jedwood Justice

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Putting an obnoxious person to death first, and trying him afterwards. This sort of justice was dealt to moss-troopers. Same as Jedburgh justice^ Jeddart justice. We have also "Cupar justice" and "Abingdon law.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Jedwood Justice” mean?

Putting an obnoxious person to death first, and trying him afterwards. This sort of justice was dealt to moss-troopers. Same as Jedburgh justice^ Jeddart justice. We have also "Cupar justice" and "Abingdon law.

Is “Jedwood Justice” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.