Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George IIIReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George III
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
The Court of Hustings in London is empowered to award landlords
their tenements for which rent or services are in arrears if the
landlord could not distrain enough tenant possessions to cover the
arrearages.
Wills are proven in the Court of Husting, the oldest court in
London, which went back to the times of Edward the Confessor. One
such proven will is:
"Tour (John de La) - To Robert his eldest son his capital messuage
and wharf in the parish of Berchingechurch near the land called
'Berewardesland`. To Agnes his wife his house called
'Wyvelattestone', together with rents, reversions, etc. in the
parish of S. Dunstan towards the Tower, for life; remainder to
Stephen his son. To Peter and Edmund his sons lands and rents in
the parish of All Hallows de Berhyngechurch; remainders over in
default of heirs. To Agnes, wife of John le Keu, fishmonger, a
house situate in the same parish of Berhyng, at a peppercorn
[nominal] rent."
The Court of the Mayor of London heard diverse cases, including
disputes over goods, faulty or substandard goods, adulteration,
selling food unfit for human consumption, enhancing the price of
goods, using unlawful weighing beams, debts, theft, distraints,
forgery, tavern brawling, bullying, and gambling. Insulting or
assaulting a city dignitary was a very serious crime; an attack on
the mayor was once capitally punished. Sacrilege, rape, and
burglary were punished by death. Apart from the death penalty, the
punishment meted out the most was public exposure in the pillory,
with some mark of ignominy slung round the neck. If the crime was
selling bad food, it was burnt under the offender's nose. If it
was sour wine, the offender was drenched in it. Standing in the
pillory for even one hour was very humiliating, and by the end of
the day, it was known throughout the city. The offender's
reputation was ruined. Some men died in the pillory of shame and
distress. A variation of the pillory was being dragged through the
streets on a hurdle. Prostitutes were carted through the streets
in coarse rough cloth hoods, with penitential crosses in their
hands. Scolds were exposed in a "thewe" for women. In more serious
cases, imprisonment for up to a year was added to the pillory.
Mutilation was rare, but there are cases of men losing their right
hands for rescuing prisoners. The death penalty was usually by
hanging. The following four London cases pertain to customs, bad
grain, surgery, and apprenticeship, respectively.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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