Egremont Miscellanea - 5

The Manor Court of Egremont. - written by CAESAR CAINE the vicar of Cleator

I have made a study of this venerable institution, by searching the Rolls of the Court, preserved at Cockermouth Castle, and my duty is to select and arrange some of the facts  which I have collected. My paper possesses, at least, this merit, that it is the first attempt to give a consecutive account of what was once a most important local institution, but which is almost forgotten and unknown to-day, outside a small circle of estate officials.

This Manor Court was of great antiquity, for no manor came into existence after 1290. The origin of the manor Courts goes back to the origin of the manors themselves. Most unfortunately there are no records of this Court earlier than the time of Charles I. But in the Bailiff's Accounts, preserved among the muniments of Cockermouth Castle, I have traced references to the operations of this Court in the time of Edward IV.
There was one great peculiarity about the Manor Court of Egremont. It was not held for one manor in particular. The Lord of Egremont held the Manor Court at Egremont Castle for all manors within a given area. The manors subject to this court comprised a huge district which may be said to extend, roughly, from the river Derwent to the river Esk. Generally speaking, the manors comprised within this area did not hold a court within their own borders, but appeared at the court of the Over-lord at the Castle.
There were really three courts :-1, Court Baron 2, Customary Court; 3, Court Leet. The Court Baron was the small debt court of the freeholders. The Customary Court was the court of the customary-hold tenants. The Court Leet was a court of record, a court for the appointment of officers, and a court for the punishment of minor offences. The president of the Manor Court was the Over-lord, and in his absence his steward presided.

The town of Egremont was not subject to this court, having a court of its own, known as the Borough Court. The manner of calling this court was as follows, the year 1745 being taken for this example

MANOR AND LORDSHIP OF EGREMONT

These are to will, and require you to give public notice within the said Manor, that the Court Leet, and View of Frankpledge, with the Court Baron of the Most Noble Lord Charles, Duke of Somerset, etc., Lord of the said Manor will be holden at the Castle of Egremont in and for the said Manor on Tuesday, the thirtieth day of this Instant April at Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon.
And that you warn all Tenants of and Residents within the said Manor that do owe suit and service to the said Courts, that they be, and appear at the time and place aforesaid, then and there to perform the same.
And likewise that you summon twenty and four honest and lawful men of the said Manor that they be and appear at the Time and Place appointed, to enquire for our Sovereign Lord the King, and of all such Matters and Things, as to the said Courts do appertain; and that you yourself be then and there also present:
And have you there the Names of such Persons as you shall have so summoned together with this Precept.
Given under my hand and seal this eighth day of April in the year of our Lord God 1745.
    Ewen Christian
    Deputy Steward.

To Mr. John Peile,
Bailiff of the said Manor.

The places whose affairs came under review at the court at Egremont Castle were numerous. They were of two classes

1. -Those represented by appointed and authorized persons. These were originally called "attorneys" but the word became corrupted into "Turneymen," "Turnamen," " Turnemen," " Turnsmen," and" Turnmen." The last of these corruptions became the settled form of the word-Turnmen. They presented all complaints upon which the Court had to adjudicate. If there were no case to submit to the Court they responded to the name of the Manor when read out, "All's well." The following members of the over-lordship of Egremont were represented by Turnmen :- Muncaster; Drigg and Carleton; Irton and Santon; Bolton; Gosforth; Haile; Newton and Ponsonby; Workington and Winscales; Lamplugh; Murton, Moser, Whillimore, Widdicar, and Moresby; Kelton; Cleator; Frizington and Arlecdon; Distington and Rottington; Wilton and Braystones; Calder and Beckermet - (Copied from the list for 1707).

2. -There were certain tenants, who were not represented by Turnmen. They were expected to appear at the Court in person, and answer to the call of their names. This arrangement applied to Carleton; Colderton; Middletown; and various tenants in Gosforth, Ravenglass, Drigg and Wilton. From these two lists it is apparent that in the same under manor there would be tenants who were represented by Turnmen at the Overlord's Court, and other tenants whose obligation it was to appear personally. To these two classes a third must be added.

3. -The following three Manors held their own courts, and did not appear at the Castle by attorney :-(a) Netherwasdale; (b) Eskdale, Mitredale and Wasdalehead; and (c) "Kennyside." Originally the courts for these manors were held within each respective manor, and occupied three days, but as this was found inconvenient an arrangement was made whereby the Kenniside and Eskdale juries agreed to attend at the Strands in Netherwasdale, and the business of the three courts was all done. in one day. This practice continued until a few years ago, when Kenniside, finding it difficult to secure a jury at Netherwasdale, got permission to hold its court at Egremont. This was, however, again changed, and now the three courts are held as originally in their respective manors, Kenniside at Ennerdale Bridge, Netherwasdale at the Strands, and Eskdale in Eskdale. In these three manors, cases in which the verdicts of the local juries were disputed were reheard before the jury of the Head Court at Egremont.

Nev.Ramsden August 2013

For further reading on Egremont then see these local history books:
Discovering Egremont -    by E.A.Read  1992 Titus Wilson, Kendal
1000 years of Egremont - by E.A.Read  1999 Titus Wilson, Kendal
The Egremont Heritage -  by Egremont Town Council