CLOSE WRIT
In ENGLISH LAW, a certain kind of letter issued by the sovereign that is sealed with the great seal indicating his or her office and directed to a particular person and for a special purpose.
A close writ – unlike a patent writ – is closed up, sealed on the outside, and not open to inspection by the public. In former times, such a writ could have been directed to the sheriff rather than the lord of a particular manor.
