Select Pleas in Manorial and Other Seignorial Courts, Vol. 1: Reigns of Henry III. and Edward I (Classic Reprint). This item is unavailable.Select Pleas in Manorial and Other Seignorial Courts, Vol. 1: Reigns of Henry III. and Edward I (Classic Reprint)

This book presents records of early local courts in England and demonstrates the range and importance of these courts around the time that manorial courts began keeping written records. The author presents a diverse selection of rolls from different kinds of courts, and uses these to describe the origins, jurisdiction, and procedures of these courts. The author argues that these records reveal two distinct types of jurisdiction, one involving franchised royal rights, and the other involving those inherent to the possession of a manor. While franchised rights were often exercised by lords who had no legal warrant to do so, rights inherent to a manor were well-defined. This had significant implications for the functioning of these courts, as lords saw themselves as acting on behalf of the king in exercising their rights. The book concludes by suggesting that this body of records provides evidence of an evolution in the law toward a stricter definition of royal rights and franchises. At the time these records were written, a process had begun that would eventually lead to the creation of the modern legal system.