Forms: 6 (? chartwrpartte), chartparte, chartipartie; 6–7 charter-partie, 7 charter-party. [In 16th c. charte-, chartipartie, a. F. charte partie, in med.L. charta partīta (also called charta divisa) a divided ‘charter’ or legal instrument, i.e., one written out in duplicate, and then divided through a rubric or title, half being given to each party to the transaction; an indenture.]
† 1. gen. An indenture; a contract written out in duplicate on a single sheet, and then divided so as to yield two counter-parts, fitting each other with their indented edges, or by the division being made through a rubric, title, or alphabet, written between the two. Obs.
[Rymer, Fœdera, XIII. 43/2 (Du Cange). Contractus per chartas partitas.
Dugdale, Monast. Angl., II. 94 (Du Cange). Tenent etiam totam terram de Stelden per Cartas Divisas.]
2. In modern use confined to: The charter or deed made between owners and merchants for hire of a ship, and safe delivery of the cargo.
It contains the name and burden of the vessel, the names of the master and freighters, the price or rate of the freight, the place and time of lading and unlading, and stipulations as to demurrage.
1539. T. Pery, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. II. 142. As larger will apere by the sayde chartwrpartte.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., c. 14. The chart parte to be made betwen the said owner or maister and the marchantes.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Contrapoliça, the counterpane of a chartipartie, antigraphum.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 272. It is requisite that the same be declared in the charter partie.
1623. Whitbourne, Newfoundland, 37. Those which hire ships for that purpose are bound by conditions vnder hand and Seale, which we call Charter parties.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 55. Charter partie.
1658. Milton, Lett. State, Wks. 1738, II. 219. He hir’d out his Ship by a Charter-party Agreement, to one Joseph Arman, an Italian.
1755. Magens, Insurances, II. 101. When the … Charter-Party is signed, the contracting Parties shall be reciprocally bound one to another, to observe the conditions stipulated therein.
1804. in Nicolas’ Disp. Nelson (1845), V. 356. Whether their Vessels are found agreeably to their Charter Parties which they are hereby directed to produce.
1849. Freese, Comm. Class-bk., 43. A Charter-Party is an insurable interest or property.
