Infangthief (, . "thief seized within") applied to thieves captured within a landowner's estate,
Outfangthief (, . "thief seized without") is a more problematic term, as it is unattested prior to a forged charter included in the 3rd edition of
William of Malmesbury's
Deeds of the English Kings (). It seems to have initially been understood as the right to try a thief among the lord's own men wheresoever he might be apprehended, Such privileges had several advantages: they were profitable, helped to maintain discipline on the estate, and identified the privilege-holder as a figure of authority. They remained in use after the
Norman Conquest as a standard right given to local lords and did not finally fall into disuse until the time of
Edward III. Even then, they continued to be asserted for a considerable time afterwards in
Halifax, West Yorkshire. ==Examples==