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Court leet facts for kids

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The court leet was a special local court in old England, Wales, and Ireland. It was like a community police force and dealt with local rules and minor issues. It also checked on a system called "frankpledge," which was a way for communities to keep peace and order among themselves.

What Does "Leet" Mean?

The word "leet" came into use around the late 1200s. It's an old Anglo-French word, and its exact meaning isn't fully known. Some think it might be connected to the word "let," meaning to allow or permit.

How These Courts Started

In medieval England, a powerful person called the Lord of the Manor had control over the land and the people living on it, like his farmers and tenants. The Lord had a court called the court baron to manage his land and deal with disputes among his tenants. However, this court couldn't handle serious crimes.

Serious crimes were handled by "hundred courts." England was divided into areas called "hundreds." Each hundred had its own court. Within these hundreds, people were organized into groups called "tithings." A tithing was usually about ten households. The people in a tithing were responsible for each other's good behavior. This system was called frankpledge. The hundred court would check on this system, in a process called "view of frankpledge." If someone in a tithing did something wrong, the group would report it. Minor issues were handled by the hundred court, while serious crimes went to a higher court.

Over time, some Lords of the Manor started to claim these policing powers for their own manors. Eventually, the king formally allowed certain trusted lords to have the authority that the hundred courts used to have over the tithings in their manor. The most important power was the "view of frankpledge." The group of tithings within a manor became known as a "leet." So, these special courts that handled local policing and community rules became known as court leet.

Around the time of Edward I of England, it became clear that a court leet was different from a court baron. A court leet had special powers granted by the king, while a court baron only dealt with the lord's land matters. Even so, many court leets and court barons often met together as one court.

What Did a Court Leet Do?

The court leet was an official court that kept records. Its main job was to check on the "frankpledge" system, where free people promised to keep the peace and follow good trade practices. It also used a jury to try and punish minor crimes that happened in its area. More serious crimes were sent to the king's judges.

The jury in a court leet was different from juries today. Back then, the jury would point out wrongdoers, act as witnesses, and help decide on punishments.

The court leet also made sure that community standards were met, especially for things like selling food and drinks, and farming. For example, the Alcester Court Leet had rules to:

  • Regularly check on the condition of water channels, roads, paths, and ditches.
  • Prevent people from taking over public areas or rights.
  • Protect important landmarks.
  • Keep watch over common lands and make sure everyone used them fairly.
  • Stop people from cheating with food or drink.
  • Inspect weights and measures used by traders.
  • Generally look after the community's well-being and solve local problems.

These courts usually met only a few times a year, sometimes just once a year. A problem or issue was brought to the court by a "presentment," which could come from a local person or the jury itself. Punishments were usually in the form of fines or, for more serious issues, imprisonment.

The Jury and Officers

Attending the court leet was often required for people living in its area. If you didn't show up, you could be fined. Over many centuries, these fines became very small because their value wasn't updated for inflation. For example, in some places today, the fine might be just 2p (two pence).

The jury in a court leet was usually made up of people who owned their land (freehold tenants). People who were not free (bondsmen) could not be on the jury because they couldn't take an oath. The jury's job was to elect officers, bring problems to the court's attention, and help make decisions.

The court leet had several important officers:

  • Steward: This person acted for the Lord of the Manor and was the main official. The Steward was like a judge today, leading the court meetings.
  • Bailiff: The court's helper. The Bailiff made sure the court's decisions were carried out, called the jury, and made arrests if ordered by the court.
  • Constable: Kept order during court sessions.
  • Crier: Announced the court's decisions to everyone in the manor.
  • Affeerers: These people decided how much the fines should be.
  • Special Inspectors: The court also had specific experts to check on different things:
    • Ale Taster: Checked the quality of ale and made sure the right measures were used.
    • Bread Weighers: Checked the freshness and weight of bread sold.
    • Surveyor of Highways: Made sure roads and waterways were in good condition.
    • Chimney Peeper: Checked that chimneys were clean.
    • Scavenger: Ensured hygiene in public areas and tried to prevent the spread of diseases.

Later History

Over time, new officials called magistrates were introduced. These magistrates gradually took over many of the powers that court leets had, including the "view of frankpledge." Because of this, court leets became less important and slowly stopped being held. After the old feudal system ended, local parishes took over many of the remaining duties of the old manorial courts.

However, some court leets continued to exist, even into the late 1900s! Most of these became just ceremonial, a way to celebrate local history. Their legal power to deal with crimes was finally removed in 1977 by a law called the Administration of Justice Act 1977.

One special exception was the court leet for the manor of Laxton, Nottinghamshire. This court continued to have legal power because Laxton still uses a very old farming system called the open-field system, which needed the court to manage it.

Even though the 1977 Act removed the legal power over crimes for most court leets, it said that "any such court may continue to sit and transact such other business, if any, as was customary for it." This meant they could still meet and deal with local concerns or manage common land.

Courts Leet Still Existing Today

Many court leets still exist today, mostly for ceremonial purposes or to manage local common land. Some were specifically allowed to continue by the 1977 Act, while others have been restarted or continued without official legal backing.

Here are some examples of courts leet that were still functioning in 2010:

Other courts leet have been re-established or continue without specific legal backing from the 1977 Act, such as:

See also

  • Cert-money
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