Daily AncestorTo have and to hold
To have and to hold is the deed clause, called the habendum, that states what estate the buyer gets, such as "to him, his heirs and assigns forever."
The phrase translates the Latin habendum et tenendum, and the clause it opens is called the habendum. It comes right after the granting clause and says what kind of estate the grantee receives.
Read it carefully: "to him, his heirs and assigns forever" means full fee simple ownership, while "during her natural life" means only a life estate. Any conditions or limits on the grant also tend to appear here.
As seen in a recordHabendum clause of a deed, 1800s
To have and to hold the said tract of land unto the said Jno. Hart, his heirs and assigns forever
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Daily Ancestor. "To have and to hold." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/to-have-and-to-hold. Last checked 2026-10-10.