Encumbered Estates' Court

The Encumbered Estates' Court was established by an act of the British Parliament in 1849, to facilitate the sale of Irish estates whose owners, because of the Great Famine, were unable to meet their obligations. It was given authority to sell estates on application from either the owner or an encumbrancer (somebody who had a claim on it) and, after the sale, distribute the proceeds among the creditors, granting clear title to the new owners. In 1858, the court's functions were assumed by the Landed Estates Court, which, in turn, was replaced by the Land Commission that was set up under the 1881 Land Act.