Daily AncestorWrit
A writ is a written order issued by a court, in the name of the state, directing an officer or person to do a specific thing, such as arrest someone or seize property.
Writs were addressed to a sheriff or other officer, or directly to a person, and could start a case or carry one forward. There were many named kinds, such as a writ of execution after a judgment.
In old law books the word writ was sometimes used to mean the lawsuit itself. Georgia Archives suggests looking at writs and final records for the full papers of a case when the minutes are thin.
As seen in a recordSuperior court record, 1800s
Writ of fieri facias issued against the goods of Saml. Ross at suit of Wm. Bell
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Writ." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/writ. Last checked 2026-10-12.