Also 5 sure render, 6 surrendre. [a. AF. surrender, OF. surrendre, inf. used as sb.: see next.] The action or an act of surrendering.
1. Law. a. The giving up of an estate to the person who has it in reversion or remainder, so as to merge it in the larger estate; e.g., the giving up of a lease before its expiration; spec. the yielding up of a tenancy in a copyhold estate to the lord of the manor for a specified purpose; transf. a deed by which such surrender is made.
1487. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 394/1. Determynation of the States … by Deth,… or by eny other wise then by Surrender.
1512. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), I. 4. I will that my feoffees maike a sufficiente and lawful estaite, by surrender or otherwais.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 14. Surrenders of landes holden by the yerde.
1535. Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 27 § 7. The said Chauncellour shall have power … to take surrendre of any leases.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, X iv b. I haue wastfully spente … the surrender of my fathers landes.
1590. West, Symbol., I. II. § 311. An Instrument of Surrender is an instrument testifiyng … that the particuler tenant of landes … doth … agree, that he which hath the next immediate remainder or reuersion thereof shall also haue the particuler estate of the same in possession.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 338. If a man make a Lease for yeares to begin at Michaelmasse next, this future interest cannot bee surrendred, because there is no Reuersion wherein it may drowne, but by a Surrender in Law it may be drowned. As if the Lessee before Michaelmasse take a new Lease for yeares … this is a Surrender in Law of the former Lease.
1679–88. Moneys Secr. Serv. Chas. II. & Jas. II. (Camden), 69. For the charge of a surrender made by Lord Arundell of Trerice, and inrolling the same, 3 0 0.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. 365. Surrender,… the yielding up of the estate by the tenant into the hands of the lord, for such purposes as in the surrender are expressed.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), I. 277. A term cannot be merged by surrender till the tenant has entered.
1825. Act 6 Geo. IV., c. 16 § 3. If any such Trader shall … make … any fraudulent Surrender of any of his Copyhold Lands.
b. The giving up of letters patent granting an estate or office; Hist. the yielding up of tithes in Scotland to the Crown.
1557. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), VI. 261. Upon dewe surrender mayde to my handes of the other sayde severall patentes.
1628. Sc. Acts Chas. I. (1870), V. 189/1. Such of his Majesties Subjects as had right to whatsoever erection of … Teinds and others forsaids who should make surrender thereof in his Majesties hands.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 126. His … Commission of Surrenders of Superiorities and Tithes, by which the Ministers and Land-owners were bought out … from the Clientele and Vassallage of the Nobility and Laique Patrons.
1662. Hughes, Abridgm. Law, III. 1904/2. Of Surrender of the King’s Letters Patents, what shall be said a good Surrender of them, and what not.
1729. Jacob, Law Dict., s.v., A Surrender may be made of Letters Patent to the King, to the End he may grant the Estate to whom he pleases.
c. The action of surrendering to bail.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 10. The Bail has a sort of Custody and Command of the Prisoner. A Surrender is our Discharge.
d. The giving up by a bankrupt of his property to his creditors or their assignees; also, his due appearance in the bankruptcy court for examination, as formerly required by the bankruptcy acts.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman, vii. (1841), I. 48. Upon his honest and faithful surrender of his affairs, he shall be set at liberty.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. 481. In case the bankrupt absconds … between the time of the commission issued, and the last day of surrender, he may by warrant … be committed to the county goal.
1825. Act 6 Geo. IV., c. 16 § 112. If any Person … declared Bankrupt, shall not … surrender himself to them [sc. Commissioners], and sign or subscribe such Surrender, and submit to be examined before them … [he] shall be deemed guilty of Felony.
e. † (a) See quot. 1755. (b) The abandonment of an insurance policy by the party assured on receiving part of the premiums.
Surrender value, the amount payable to an insured person on his surrendering his policy.
1755. Magens, Insurances, II. 92. When any Goods or Ships that are insured, happen to be lost,… then the Assured is obliged to abandon such Goods or Ship to the Benefit of the Assurers, before he can demand any Satisfaction from them. The Surrender must be made by Notice in writing, by the Messenger of the maritime Court.
1880. Encycl. Brit., XIII. 179/1. The surrender value to be allowed for a policy which is to be given up should be less than the reserve value.
1887. J. Henry, Handbk. Life Assurers (ed. 2), 51. The value to be offered by the office for a surrender of the policy.
2. The giving up of something (or of oneself) into the possession or power of another who has or is held to have a claim to it; esp. (Mil., etc.) of combatants, a town, territory, etc., to an enemy or a superior. In wider sense: Giving up, resignation, abandonment.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., Christ’s Burial, 301. To his fadere, for vs he made a sure render.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 354. The Senate refused to make surrender or to receiue a power into the citie. Ibid., 400. Albeit they were layde at with many weapons, yet toke they it by surrender.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., I. i. 138. To speake … About surrender vp of Aquitaine.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., II. xxv. (1821), 452. Which they did not deliver unto him as a Surrender, but to shew and manifest their Dutys.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 494. With eyes Of conjugal attraction unreprov’d, And meek surrender.
1689. Sc. Acts Will. & M. (1875), XII. 54/2. That at the surrender of the castle þe avenews be gaurded be the town gaurds.
1790. Burke, Rev. France, 88. That he may secure some liberty, he makes a surrender in trust of the whole of it.
1792. Almon, Anecd. W. Pitt, II. xxx. 145. That a repeal of the Stamp Act would be a surrender of the authority of the British Legislature over the Colonies.
1856. Kane, Arctic Expl., I. xxvii. 353. Nothing depresses … so much as a surrender of the approved and habitual forms of life.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xx. 386. Sacrifice … consists … in the perfect surrender of a perfect Will and Life.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xviii. 206. [The terms of peace] did not involve the surrender or driving out of the English exiles.
1911. E. Beveridge, North Uist, iv. 58. Although offering surrender, all were slain.
b. Cards. In the game of ombre, the act of throwing up one’s hand and paying one’s forfeit to the pool instead of to an adversary.
1874. H. H. Gibbs, Ombre (1878), 32. Surrender was formerly not allowed in English play.
† 3. An act of rendering (thanks). Obs. rare–1.
1594. in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ., V. 283. To give to his temporal benefactors a sweet surrender of thanks.
