A legal right or allowance, historically the right of a tenant or divorced woman to take wood or other necessities from an estate.
From Old French estover (necessary provisions), from estoire (to be necessary), related to Latin stare (to stand). The term was used in English property law from the 13th century onward.
Estovers protected vulnerable people—a widow could legally gather firewood from her dead husband's land, preventing her from freezing. It's an early form of legal protection ensuring survival rights.
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