Court Baron or Leet

The court leet was a historical court baron (a manorial court) of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the “view of frankpledge” (ie. the compulsory sharing of responsibility among persons connected in tithings), and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.

Regular meetings of the court baron and the court leet were held within the manor to deal with the customs and usages. The proceedings of the court were inscribed in the rolls. Latin was used until 1733 except for the Commonwealth period (1649-1660) when they were written in English.

The court baron dealt mostly with property, particularly copyhold property which had existed as such since the middle of the 13^th century, (the time when villeins started to become free men) until about 1926. Villeins became copyholders when they obtained written evidence of their right to their holding. When they left their holding they surrendered the property back to the Lord of the manor who granted admission to the new tenant. Thus copyhold was so called because the tenant held a copy of his admittance as it was inscribed in the court rolls.

The copyholder could sub-let the property. He was expected to attend the court and make payment on admission of the new tenant. In the early days the copyholder was liable to work for a certain number of days a year for the Lord. When the copyholder died a heriot of the best beast that he owned was due to the Lord but this later became commuted to a cash payment.

The heirs of the copyholder were also admitted to the property at a meeting of the court Baron.

The system of Borough-English (Ultimogeniture) prevailed where the property was passed to the youngest son with daughters as co-heirs, as opposed to Primogeniture, where it passed to the eldest son, or Gavelkind where it was split between the children.

Additionally, the court leet dealt with misdemeanours.

The Common was owned by the Lord of the Manor and the tenants were limited, or stinted, to a certain number of cattle or sheep that they were permitted to turn out onto the common.

The number of animals that a tenant had the right to turn on the common was estimated by those animals “Levant and couchant” (i.e. rising up and lying down, or were there day and night) on the tenants own land during the winter, when the grass on the common was not growing.

Rights of Common (law)

Herbage/Pasturage.

The right to graze domestic stock. Most frequently it relates to sheep and cattle, but in some cases there are grazing rights for ponies, geese, goats and ducks, while in others no stock types are specified.

Estover. 

A right of estover originally conferred the ability to take limbs of timber for minor works to buildings, for making farm implements and hurdles, and for fuel, or to take bracken and heather for bedding. Today it is usually limited to the taking of wood for fuel.

Tubary

The right to cut turf, or peat, for fuel on a particular area of bog.

Pannage 

the practice of releasing livestock-pigs in a forest, so that they can feed on fallen acorns, beechmast, chestnuts or other nuts.

Piscary.

The right to take fish from lakes, pond or streams.

Common in the soil.

This is the right to remove sand, gravel, stone and minerals from the soil.

Common Appendant.

The origin was probably not manorial. It was the right of the freehold tenants to depasture their commonable cattle. Commonable cattle were beasts of the plough (horses or oxen) and animals which manure the land (cows and sheep). As tilling of their tenancies was desirable, a tenant needed these animals to carry it out and perform grazing for them.

Common Appurtenant.

This applied where the occupiers of a specific house had been given a grant, or could prove long use beforehand, and so had the right to use the common. Swine, goat’s donkeys and geese were not commonable creatures but occasionally the right to graze these might be a common appurtenant

Court Leet

Manor of Pellennigg

MAN/A/2/0325

14^th October 1745 – 16^th Aprill 1752

Manor of Pellennigg: At a Court Leet and view of Frank pledge of our sovereign Lord the King together with The Court Baron of the Rt. Hon.^ble Henry Pelham Esq., guardian appointed by the high Court of Chancery to the Rt. Hon.^ble George Lord Abergavenny an infant Lord of the same Manor (unable to read) held at the dwelling house of Edward Williams. The said Manor before Theophilus Morgan, gent, Chief Steward of the same Manor and John Cooke and William Morgan, gentleman Homagers then and there present

The names of the Grand Jury then and there sworn:
William Andrew of the parish of Goytrey was sworn tenant for his lands he holds within the same parish
David Williams,  Isaac Philip,  William Jenkins
Aron Morris, Edward Jones, John Walters
William Jones,  Rosser David,  William Llewellin
Robert Williams,  John Williams
Will.^m Andrew,  John Jones
Morgan Evans,  John Absolom
Roger Reynold,  Walter Jenkins
William Charles of Lanover was sworn tenant for the lands he holds within the same parish

Court Leet 2

Manor of Pellennigg: At a Court Leet and view of Frank pledge of our sovereign Lord the King together with the Court Baron of the Rt. Hon^ble. Henry Pelham Esq., guardian appointed by the High Court Chancery to the Rt Hon.^ble George Lord Abergavenny an infant Lord of the same Manor held the 25^th day of Aprill 1746 at the dwelling house of Francis Morgan innkeeper situate in Goytrey within the said Manor before Theophilus Morgan gent, Chief Steward and William Jenkins and William Morgan of the same Manor gentlemen Homagers, then and there present

The names of the Grand Jury sworn and impannelled
Walter Williams – Lanover Bon: Lewis – Lanover
Samuel Watkin – Mamhilad Wm Lewis – same
Morgan Philip – of the same R^d Jenkins – same
Wm Edw.^d – of the same
Henry James – of the same
Walter Evans – of the same
Wm Jones – of the same
D^d. Richard – of the same
Wm Thos – of the same
R^d. Watkin of Goytrey
Wm Griffith – of the same
Rowland Morgan – of the same
John James – Lanvair
William Prichard – same
Wm Andrew Goytrey sworn constable for the present year
Philip Edward of Lanover Upper sworn Constable in? William Reynold
Wm David sworn parish Constable for the parish of Lanvair Gildidus
Wm Jenkins Esq., sworn tenant for his estate in this Lordship

Court Leet 3

Manor of Pellennigg: At a Court Leet and view of Frank pledge of our Sovereign Lord the King together with the Court Baron of the Rt. Hon.^ble Henry Pelham Esq., guardian appointed by the High Court of Chancery to the Rt. Hon.^ble George Lord Abergavenny an infant Lord of the same Manor held the 16^th day of October 1746 at the dwelling house of Walter Edward situate in Lanover within the said Manor before Theophilus Morgan gent, Chief Steward of the same Manor and gentlemen Homagers then and there present.

The names of the Grand Jury sworn and impannelled:
Walter Williams – Llanover
Samuel Watkins – Mamhilad
Wm Lewis – same
Richard Jenkins – same
Wm Edward – of the same
Henry James – of the same
Walter Evans – of the same
Wm Jones – of the same
David Richards – of the same
Wm Thomas – of the same
Richard Watkins – of Goytrey
Wm Griffith – of the same
Rowland Morgan – same
John James – Llanvair
Wm Pritchard – same
Thos Owen

Court Leet 4
Manor of Pellennigg – At a Court Leet and view of Frank Pledge of our sovereign Lord the King, together with the Court Baron of the Right Hon. Henry Pelham Esq., guardian appointed by the high Court of Chancery to the Rt Hon. George, Lord Abergavenny, an infant Lord of the same Manor held the 24th day of Aprill1747 at the dwelling house of Edward William, innholder situate in Mamhilad within the said Manor, before Thomas Jenkins, deputy steward of Lanvair and John Cooke and William Morgan, gentleman Homagers then and there present.

Names of the Grand Jury Impannelled
John Morgan of Goytrey
Jacob Edward of the same
Wm Jenkins of the same
William Thomas of Mamhilad
John Griffith of the same
Henry Jones of the same
Chas Jenkins of Llanover Lower
Thomas Owen of Llanover Upper
Michael Lewis of Goytrey
Thos Proger of the same
William Jones of Mamhilad

Court Leet 5
Manor of Pellennigg – At a Court Leet