Enlightened Feudalism

Jeremy Hayhoe, in this thoroughly researched and carefully considered book, argues that the lords’ increasing use of their courts to prosecute wood theft, non-payment of dues, poaching and other offences contributed to undermining the legitimacy of these courts and helped incite the revolts against the seigneurial regime during the revolutionary period. Seigneurial tribunals permitted the lords to enforce their privileges more cheaply and thoroughly than had they taken their peasants to the royal courts. The lords assured themselves of the dependability of judges, prosecutor/attorneys (procureurs) and clerks before appointing these agents to run their jurisdictions. The lords, town dwellers for the most part, corresponded with their prosecutor/attorneys about the respect shown for their privileges. They wrote to advise, cajole, praise and criticize in incidents regarding forest offences, encroachments on their farmlands and local law and order. The lordly agents handed out many fines to peasants for stealing from the seigneurial forests and for illegally pasturing animals on village fields.

Aristocracy (class) · Economic Justice · Feudalism · Legitimacy · Political science · Politics · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Law · Medieval and Early Modern Justice