AND COURT BARON OF MORPETH. 69 yourselves to the utmost of your powers to see the King's Majestie's peace kept and watch and ward observed and kept in this Town as it hath been accustomed and as it ought to be. And according to the Statute you shall punish all rogues vagabonds and sturdy beggars haunting and resorting within the precincts of your Office and punish offenders accordingly. Also you shall punish all such persons as do or shall play at any unlawful games. And if need require you shall raise Hue and Cry after felons according to the Statute in that behalf made to the utmost of your powers. So help you God. After the appointment of officers, the court was adjourned by the following proclamation : All manner of persons who have appeared this day at the court leet of the manor of Morpeth may now depart, keeping their day and hour on a new summons. God save the king and the lord of this manor. The bells then rang out a merry peal and the attendants of the court in procession as before marched to the house of the senior bailiff; here were assembled on the first floor many young people with great baskets of apples and nuts which were thrown to the street to be scrambled for. In the rooms were tables covered with linen, on which were a large Cheshire cheese, loaves of bread, pipes, and tobacco, and silver tankards borrowed from friends. Servers then gave to each person two apples and two handfuls of nuts while the sergeant received from each a shilling,21 although the payment was far from universal. After a short sitting the party in like manner proceeded to the houses of the junior bailiff and sergeant, after which they all found their way home as best they could. It will be observed that the jury had many and large powers to remove nuisances, fix boundaries, prevent waste, punish for forestalling22 and regrating,23 grinding away from the lord's mill or baking "The dinner given by the lord of the manor is certainly of late introduction. Of old, after the labours of the day were over, the persons who had taken part in the proceedings had probably been entertained by the newly elected bailiffs and serjeant in three parties-the new officers at the senior bailiff's, the retired officers at the junior bailiff's, and the jury at the sergeant's. In this collation of bread, cheese, ale, apples, and nuts, all home produce, we have the remains of the primitive and ancient custom of the thirteenth century. The shillings paid for the bread and cheese, etc., were paid to the bailiff entertaining; the shillings paid were few and far between. Buying up merchandise on the way to market before it was presented for sale in market hours, abolished by 7 and 8 Vict. c. 24. 1709 Chas. Burnett's wife for forestalling the market amerced 38 44.Morpeth Court Rolis. Buying goods in market and selling again in or near the same, abolished by the above statute. 1668 Robert Storey presents George Young for a regrator for buying cabbage plants in the market and selling them again.-Morpeth Court Rolls. from his oven, prevent the straying of pigs and cattle, proscribe eavesdropping,24 prevent assaults or fighting when they presented' both offending parties. With all this, they had no power to inflict a fine or punishment, this rested with the steward, yet his judgment was not final but had to be traversed by two 'affeerers.' After the lord's jury had left the hall to make their perambulation, the jury of the manor court, commonly called the party jury, Their jurisdiction was in the trial of causes, as in the were sworn. county court. Actions entred Cur' Barron' p'nob'lis dni Will'mi Howard et d'ne Elizabeth vx'is fue ib'm tent' die Lune viz primo die octobris Ano Reg Caroli nunc Angl' &c octauo A°que d'ni 1632 Coram Thome Witherington armig'o Senefcallo Cur' p'd. names Refferd Actions at the Laft Courte. Thomas ffawcus Alderman of the ffullers Complayneing against ... Try Quytt Robte Vrwen of Stanton against Efeakaell Cutbert in a plea of affumpfit of his p'mife for graffinge a Cowe & quie ad dam'... Try Quit ye defendt Refer' Robte Lumfden against Ofwould Mitford in a plea of ... John Scot against Hugh ffyfe in debt of the p'ties both to appeare next Courte [This entry vijs xd vijs vja Try Culpable ijs Will'm ffenwicke of Wallington gent' against Rob'te xxxix® xjd agreed pleg' Tho: Gaire fen' Edward Milburne of Langfhawes against Thomas Browne of Netherwitton in a plea of debt of vijs vjd 21717 Presented John Mather for an easing-dropper and common disturber of the peace and neighbourhood of this corporation. Amerced 39 11a. Affeered to 30.-Morpeth Court Rolls. Reffer to Bratram Gaire & Jo: Bullman defalt' ex' agreed AND COURT BARON OF MORPETH. Margaret Greeve vidua against Thomas Baites in a ... ... ... George Marfhall against Jarrett Todd in a plea of defalt Culp- Phillip Harifon against John Stanrker al's Stankley in p dam defalt pleg' Jarrett Todd The faid Phillip against the said p'tie in a plea of affumfit of p'mife for Charges expended at Yorke by the complanant against the defendt ad dam' pleg' idem Refer' to Phil- John Lawfon against Thomas Watfon in a plea of lip Gare fen trefpas for diftroyinge of Corne ad dam' &WTM Greene Confeft ... Iffabell ffawcus widdowe againft Thomas Potts fen' XXXVsd quit in a plea of debte for Lether ... for the reft. culpable 35 va defalt Paid all in Courte quit vpon the oath of the deft agreed Reffer' Reffer' John Smith of Mofden admi'ftr to Thomas Smith Thomas Hudfon against Edward Scott in a plea of xxxixs xjd xxxiijs iiijd vjs viijs Rob'te Robinson smith against Rob'te Harbotle of ... Will'm Kellam againft Edmond Oxley in a plea of Culpable vjs Roger Towers of Morpeth against Will'm Awbon of the diffmift Refer to John Bullman & Bartrum Gaire ... Try. Culp- Thomas Smith tann' against Will'm Awbon in a plea xxxix xid viijs vd xxvjs [id] xijs defalt' defalt' [Refer'] Confeft defalt' fatet' defalt Quyt Try. Culpable xiij viija The fame against Rob'te Smith of the fpitle in a ... xxvja viijd xj iiijd [iiij*] ... iij ... [iii] [xx..] iiijs.. Gilbert Challinor against Ezeakaell Cutbert in a plea Margery Waryner against John Brabine in a plea of Try. Quyt. Iffabell dawfon & Thomas dawfon execut' to Christofer dawfon deceased against Will'm Greene in a plea of debt for the rent of a fhope in the m'ket stead Iffabell Marshall widdowe against Peter Brathe millner in a plea of trefpas for Caftinge hir yarne into the millne dame vizt vj heare of lynin yarne & iiij heare of ftrakinge ad damp' Try Quyt defalt' [This entry is struck out.] Parfevall Pearfon against Roger Towars in a plea of John Bullman againft Thomas Greene & his wife in a The fame against Will'm ffawcas webiter in a plea of defalt' AND COURT BARON OF MORPETH. ... ... ... 73 ... vjs The fame against Rob'te Clafp' & his wife in a plea of debt of Try. Wee doe finde John lawfon and Cuthbt ogle p'ctors fhall make a Juft accompt wthin xxtie daies of what they alledge to be now dif burfed by them then they are charged wh.. to be culpable of the arrers. agreed vja John Bullman beinge alderman of the ... The fame John Bullman against the ... ... ... ... Rob'te Bell tann' plea of debt of Will'm Betham against Thomas Todd tayler in debt of John Shipley against Rob'te Lumfden in debt for his horfe hire... Bartram Gaire against Rob'te Storrer in debte of Try. Culp- Dm'ns Will'ms Howard against Margery warner in a able plea of debt for fower yeares Rent of a Clofe in hill gate at ijs viijd xxxijs vd xxxijs vd xiiija iijs ixd x" viijd ... Try. Quyt Rob'te Lifleyger agt Thomas Browne al's Muge in an ... X xiiijs vjs vja The duties of the party jury were at an end after they had given their verdicts in the various cases before them. The steward, officers, party jury, and those who had been admitted freemen, dined together. The steward, who presided, had great opportunity for the exercise of tact, by toasts and occasional songs, in keeping order in what was often a turbulent and unruly party. After dining, they returned to the town-hall to attend as burgesses the evening sitting of the court, and to witness the appointment of officers, and thence to the houses of bailiffs and sergeant. NOTE. Of the popular estimation of these courts in former times, of the care with which they were guarded, and of their importance, an illustration may be found in lord William Howard's Household Book (Surtees Soc. vol. 68, pp. 397-402). In a letter from sir John Forster, the warden of the Marches, to secretary Walsingham, a memorial to the Queen by Mr. Francis Dacre, and a contemporary narrative, all reprinted from the State papers, we have presented to us a lively picture of some events of 1587. VOL. XVI. J |