Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
The county courts heard cases of theft, brawling, beating, and
wounding, for which the penalties could be exposure in the pillory or
stocks. The pillory held an offender's head and hands in holes in
boards, and the stocks held one's hands and feet. Here the public could
scorn and hit the offender or throw fruit, mud, and dead cats at him.
For sex offenders and informers, stones were usually thrown. Sometimes
a person was stoned to death. Damages in money replaced the old bots.
The county courts met twice yearly. If an accused failed to appear
after four successive county courts, he was declared outlaw at the
fifth and forfeited his civil rights and all his property. He could be
slain by anyone at will.
The hundred court met once a month to hear neighborhood
disputes, for instance concerning pastures, meadows and harvests.
Usually present was a priest, the reeve, four representative men, and
sometimes the lord or his steward in his place. Sometimes the chief
pledges were present to represent all the men in their respective
frankpledges. The bailiff presided over all these sessions except two,
in which the sheriff presided over the full hundred court to take the
view of frankpledge, which was required for those who did not have a
lord to answer for him.
The barons held court on their manors at a "hallmote" for
issues arising between people living on the manor, such as bad
ploughing on the lord's land or letting a cow get loose on the lord's
land, and land disputes. This court also made the decision of whether a
certain person was a villein or freeman. The manor court took over
issues which had once been heard in the vill or hundred court. The
baron charged a fee for hearing a case and received any fines he
imposed, which amounted to significant "profits of justice".
Boroughs held court on trading and marketing issues in their
towns such as measures and weights, as well as issues between people
who lived in the borough. The borough court was presided over by a
reeve who was a burgess as well as a royal official.
Wealthy men could employ professional pleader-attorneys to
advise them and to speak for them in a court.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account