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A75960
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The power & practice of court-leets with the manner of keeping a court of survey for mannors, lands and tenements. Also, certain dubious cases in law opened and interpreted. Published for the common good of all, both landlords, tenants and others. By Ph. Ag. of Grays Inne, Esq.
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Ag., Ph.
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1666
(1666)
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Wing A752; ESTC R225967
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50,935
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146
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to purchase it but not a farthing costs or any remedy against the party that injured him by this wicked practice many a poor Soulâ— miserably endes his dayes in New-gate And if a man be arrested by a Latitat or Bill of Middlesex and the Pâ—aintiff never declare after he hath put in Bayl he shall not have any costs but only a Non-suite or a Discontinuance as they call it unless the Defendant appear in person and that is hardly worth his while This I make bold hereto mention because it is a Grievance crieâ— loud for Redress and so doth the City-Court too for can it seem reasonable that any man should be arrested and imprisoned he knows not why not wherefore and most times irregularly the Serjeants having the advantage to do it without Warrant or any Precept or Process to be shown oftentimes nay most commonly imprison the Defendant without any Action entred against him This Practice was abhorred by the Heathens and then is it not a shame it should be tolerated by Christians But after the Arrest the Defeâ—dant appearing by Attorney the Plantiffs Attorney declares if cause be and then they fairly proceed to Trial according to the substance of the Proceeding of the Upper-Bench though different in form and to the Defendant if he be a Free-man in case of debt is allowed four Defaults by which time he may make his peace if he be wise And by the way give me leave to tell you that I have read and I am sure 't is reasonable That it is not lawful for a Citizen or one living in a Corporation to arrest any stâ—anger that inhabits in another Country into one of these Courts but by Pâ—ocess from above for these Courts had their Authority granted them originally from the King for their ease and the more easie dispatch of Justice between one another in their several Franchises for as the Forraigner hath no benefit by their Franchise so ought he not to be impleaded in their Courts Besides a great disadvantage lies upon the stranger being far from home and distant from Friends is too often enforced to purchase his Liberty by an unjust Composition There is also a Court holden before the Major and Alderman in the Guild-hall of the said City unto which the Sheriffs Court is subject by removal and both of them to a Habeas Corpur out of the Upper Bench or Common Pleas if the Action be not under five pounds and if it be then the Defendant may cause another Action to be entred against him at the Sute of any person he will name which is above 5 l. and remove both together There is also another Court of Equity held between one Freeman and another in the said City wherein they regularly proceed by Summons in all Debts not exceeding 40 s. and pity it is that the Authority of that Court extends no higher Thus by the head you may guess at the whole Body I mean the Proceedings of â—ll Corporations for setting the first Arrest or Process aside when they come to declare they do generally in theâ—r Declarations imitate the Bills and Declarations of the Upper Bench. I would be larger but I proceed to other things here more aimed at only by the way let me desire the Stewards and Judges of all such Courts to be careful in amending what Erâ—ors they finde have through the rust of Antiquity crept in among them endeavoring as much as they can the ease of the Subject and equal Right to all Certain Questions and Cases in LAW Resolved 1. JOHN Doe surrendred to his Wife certain Copy-hold Land of Inheritance to her and to the Heirs of their two Bodides to be begotten and for default of such issue to the right heirs of the said John Doe but in the said surrender doth not express that he gives it to her for her Joynture although it was his intent she should have no other Dowy whether is this a Joynture or not 2. The said John Doe died without Will his Wife administred and there was certain Timber felled for the repair of a Copy-hold belonging to the Heir which the Praisers refuse to put into the Inventory for the reason aforesaid This Widdow marries again and her Husband takes away the Timber so felled from off the Lands belonging to the said Heir whether is this Felony or not 3. Her said Husband is the Lord of the Mannor and doth detain and keep certain Writings from the Heir of the said Deceased refusing to keep any Court where the Heir should be admitted Tenant to certain Copy-hold Land lying within his Manor but doth destrain for Quit-Rent upon the Land belonging to the Heir refusing to deliver the Heir his Writings or shew any Title he hath to the Quit-Rent 4. Whether the aforenamed Surrender being accepted and taken doth not barr the woman to have any Dowry either in Fee or Copy-hold Lands after her deceased Husband although the Custom Bank of that place where the Copy hold lieth renders the Widdow of the Deceased the third part of the Lands that her Husband died seized of 5. What sorts of Wood is accounted Timber by the Law and whether the Woman by vertue of the aforenamed Surrender can cut and sell any manner of Woods growing upon the said surrendred Lands to make a waste and spoil or whether the Land restrains her but to cut for necessary uses 6. Whether the Widow of the Deceased in her Widdowhood letting a Leese Parole for five yeares of her surrendred Land contrary to the Custome ought not to make good the said Lease Parole to the Tenant because he shall be much damnified if he enjoy not the same 7. If a man taken with an Execution for Debt by the Sheriffs Bayliffs and the said Bayliffs suffer him to make an escape and the Creditor reneweth not the Execution in two or three yeares after whether may he afterward bring his Action against the Sheriff or the Debtor 8. We desire to know what penalty is to be laid upon the Lord of the Mannor which ought to keep a Court-Leet once a year and doth not and to whom the penalty belongeth 9. How Lords of Mannors do hold their Lordships and Mannors and whether they pay any Rent therefore or no 10. If Lord of a Mannnor commit Felony who is to have the forfeiture of his Royalty The Resolution of the foregoing Questions To the first A Joynture of a Copy-hold doth not bar Dower for that at the common Law it it did not and by the Statute of Uses the Joynture must be of Lands at the common Law and whereof Uses might be raised which holds in neither in Copy-holds 2. It is not Felony but the Lord of the Mannor may have an Action of Trespass again the said Husband or the Heir may have an Action upon the case against him 3. The Heir may sue him at common Law for detaining of his Writings and touching the distress for Quit-Rents let the Tenant bring a Replevin and
whereby the Survey of the said Mannors may be made the more perfect The manner of making the Terrar or Field-Book may be thus A general Survey and Field book taken at H. in the County of S. holden for the Mannors of G. and H. by R. T Steward and Survayor of the same the 10 day of M. 1656. wherein all the Messuages Lands and Tenements in the said Mannors are set forth butted and bounded The Tenure how all such Lands are holden and who be the right Owners thereof Then begin at what part of the Town you please so go through setting down every parcel of Land Messuage or Tenement distinctly abutting and bounding it and at last set down the Tenure and Title of the Owner or Inheritor according to his evidence for the same as thus if you begin at the Mannor house then begin your Survey Book A. B. Esq Lord ef the Mannor of H. c. holdeth one Messuage or Mannor house being the scite of the Mannor aforesaid in his Demeasne as of Fee together with Barns Stables Dove house Orchards Garden c. abutting and bounding the same exactly Then proceed to the next land as you go whether East or West if East then thus A. S. holdeth next and more East twenty Acres of Arable Land abutting c. as it lies c. by Copy of Court Roll ut patet per Cop. suam de Rotulis Curiae If it be Free-hold of Inheritance then say A. S. holdeth of the same Mannor one Free-Tenement c. abutting it exactly and putting down his Title and Tenure according to his Evidence If the Lords of Mannors and Tenants in their several Parishes and Townships would but joyn together with a little charge they might have Books of Survey made of their several Mannors wherein each mans Propriety might be recorded and known and this being done but once in an age or by every succeeding Lord his Tenants and himself might live in amity and tranquillity and many chargeable and vexatious Law-Suits to the undoing of thousands avoided and people might quietly follow their Vocations at home and not the promotion of others by the ruine of themselves But probably the Obstructors of Peace will give me small thanks for this Oh Mounseur Self-ends and Avidus when wilt thou depart from us R. T. Pacis dulcis Amator Acording to promise I shall proceed to declare the manner of proceeding in some inferiour Courts of Record of this Commonwealth bot declaring them sitter Objects of Reformation then Pratice they were indeed originally instituted for the more speedy administration of Justice between party and party in their Corporations but are now by the corruption of time become Instruments of vexation and injury and because they are seated in the Metropolis I shall first begin with the Sheriffs Court of London There is holden at the Guild-hall for the City of London two Court-days for one Compter holden before one of the Sheriffs and two Court-days for the other Compter before the other Sheriff in every week holding Plea in all personal Actions ad infinitum Their Practice in both Courts differs neither in manner nor form nor substance but the beginning of their proceeding I mean the levying of their Plaints is the most unjust and illegal both in the eye of the Law and of all rational people of any Court in the World For indeed the blame of all Courts is that they do not issue out Summons and take sufficient Pledge to prosecute upon the Return of the Summons as the Law originally intends before the awarding of any Capias for arresting the Body of the Defendant but return an Originall of course as they call it sometimes and sometimes not at all putting John Doe and Richard Roe for pledges to prosecute whereas indeed there ought to be a due Summons first returned and Pledges that iâ— sufficient Sureties That if the Plaintiff do not prosecute or be overthrown in his Action the Defendant shall be satisfied his costs and damages for his unjust trouble charge and vexation But the Practice of these Sheriffs Courts is so far from this that they make out no Process nor Precept at all for to warrant their Arrest But they have a Book in their Office at the Compter-gates wherein they enter the Actions that is the Plaintiffs and Defendants Names and the Debt or Damage and that is all And this is most often done after the party is arrested and in Prison for if two of their Varlets meet a man in the street minding to make a prey of him for which they continually lurk they immediatly seize on him if they know but any person he hath any dealing with be the Case right or wrong they presently drag him to the Compter or their petty Goals at next door and then run and enter against him what Actions they please in the Name of any Man And at the next Court-day the Defendant perhaps after two or three days imprisonment may obtain a Non-Sute and shall have adjudged him 7 s. 2 d. for his Charges which is not the tythe thereof and that he may look for if he can tell of who or any man whatsoever that hath any envy in his breast which there are few that want may come and enter an Action against any man he 's minded to do a mischief unto and keep him in Prison at 8 d. per week charges to the Knave as long as he livâ—s And their way of taking of Pledges of prosecuting is thus To demand of the Plantiff or he that enters the Plaint where he lives if he say in Fleet-street then then they enter Pledges to prosecute Johu Fleet Richard Street if in Common-Garden then Pledges c. John Common Richard Garden according to the place the party names though no such man be And it is a great oppression to Country-people who are thus snapt up by irregular Proceedings This is not to expedite Justice but to disgrace the Law and wrong the Commonalty By this means I have known many utterly undone and some have lain in Prison five weeks upon this account and never knew heard of nor could never find out his Adversaries And then after this he hath non-suited their Actions entred over and over again they take a President from a worse then this that I must take so much leave as plainly to speak of that is the Court of Upper-Bench from whence issues a Writ called a Latitat or in the County of Middlesex A Bill of Middlesex and uppon the supposition of one of these returned though never any such thing be they reward a Latitat into all Counties to take the Defendant without naming the cause onely Trespass be it what it will be upon which if he cannot put in bayl he shall lie in Prison three Terms which somtimes with the Vacations to boot is above three quarters of a yeer and then if the Plaintiff declare not he may obtain his Liberty by a Supersedeas if he hath money