Manorial Court Rolls
Court rolls are the record of the proceedings of the manor courts, whether Court Baron, Court Customary, or Court Leet . The Court Leet was usually joined with the View of Frankpledge, at which all men over the age of twelve were bound to appear and make their 'pledge' to keep the King's peace. This gave the Lord of the Manor some independence of the Sheriffs in the King's Courts of the ancient Hundreds (or Wapentakes as they were known in Yorkshire). In addition to the homage sworn by tenants (for which a suit roll was kept - if absent, then fines could be imposed), this court also dealt with the election of officers for the townships such as the Constables (responsible for law and order) and pinders (responsible for stray cattle) and their presentments of persons alleged to have committed petty misdemenours and nuisances e.g. affrays, failure to maintain watercourses. By the 18th century, such offences were more likely to be dealt with in the Quarter Sessions.
At the Court Baron, which was the freeholders' court, a variety of offences and legal formalities were dealt with. The manor court roll served as a registry for all copyhold properties, of buildings as well as land. Before anyone could enter into possession, they had to appear before the court and prove their succession, by descent or by a will. On acknowledgement of his rightful tenure and payment of a 'relief' or 'fine' to the Lord, he was 'admitted' to his property. If tenants wished to sell or mortgage holdings, then a 'surrender' of the land to the Lord had to be made before the new purchaser or mortgage could be admitted. The value of such entries to family historians can readily be seen with a wealth of genealogical information given on each changeover of tenancy.
So too, topographical details of the township abound - field names, mills, shops and cottages, streets and lanes, woods and quarries: all these are described in the extracts from deeds which are recorded in the court rolls in the many admissions and surrenders, and copies of wills enrolled in the rolls and registers.
©2004