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Court books: court baron (D936/M11)

The archive of the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral contains records of the Manor of Kingsholm, specifically the Court Book, court leet and view of frankpledge, 1783-1835.  The functions of the court was threefold; to hold the ‘view of frankpledge’; to hear offences presented by the manorial jury and, to punish those found guilty (usually failure to carry out orders of the court).  Like the surveys, they have a set sequence, starting with a preamble of the court meeting, the jurors (all residents of the manor) and then the business of the court.  Frankpledge was a system of joint suretyship in England during the medieval period that saw the compulsory sharing of responsibility among the inhabitants in tithings (a tithing was a subdivision of a manor or parish) to keep the peace and adhere to orders issued by the manorial courts.  The system declined over time as manors broke up and ultimately was superseded by parish constables operating under the justices of the peace.  Technically, frankpledge is still in force in England and Wales with regards to riots, where inhabitants are responsible for paying for any damages incurred – albeit indirectly levied via the council tax in the relevant local authority area.