COURT

See also:

• BARON
• BARON (1835-1895)
• BARON, MICHEL (1653—1729)

BARON  , an English manorial court dating from the middle ages and still in existence . It was laid down by Cokethat a manor had two courts, " the first by the common law, and is called a court baron," the freeholders (" barons ") being its suitors; the other a customary court for the copyholders . Stubbs adopted this explanation, but the latest learning, ex-pounded by Professor Maitland, holds that court baron means curia baronis, " la court de seigneur," and that there is no evidence for there being more than one court . The old view that at least two freeholders were required for its composition is also now discarded . Prof . Maitland's conclusion,is that the " court baron " was not even differentiated from the " court-leet " at the close of the 13th century, but that there was a distinction of jurisdictional rights, some courts having only feudal rights, while others, had regalities as well . When the court-leet was differentiated, the court baron remained with feudal rights alone . These rights he was disposed to trace to a lord's jurisdiction over his men rather than to his possession of the manor, although in practice, from an early date, the court was associated with the manor . Its chief business was to administer the " custom of the manor "and to admit fresh tenants who had acquired copyholds by inheritance or purchase, and had to pay, on so doing, a " fine " to the lord of the manor . It is mainly for the latter purpose that the court is now kept . It is normally presided over by the steward of the lord of the manor, who is a lawyer, and its proceedings are recprded on " the court rolls," of which the older ones are now valuable for genealogical as well as for legal purposes . See Select Pleas in Manorial and other Seignorial Courts, vol. i., and The Court Baron (Selden Society) .

(J . H .