Borough Court in a Seigneurial Town

This article examines the phenomenon of the “borough court” using the example of monastic towns in south-eastern England. This institution was generally uncharacteristic of these towns, as the administration of justice was in the hands of the monastic lord, especially since the latter often enjoyed significant privileges in this area. However, emerging urban communities sought access to justice. An analysis of eleven examples where there are references to certain courts associated with the town reveals that they were controlled by seigneurial officials, and the activities of townspeople were largely limited to participation in court hearings as jurors. Faversham and Fordwich are exceptions, which can be seen as the influence of their membership in the Confederation of the Cinque Ports. The volume of cases handled was quite modest, although this was typical of most English towns in the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, the emergence of a separate court, albeit under the control of the lord, was important for the development of the urban community

Borough · Economic Justice · Institution · Phenomenon · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Historical Legal Studies and Society · Medieval and Early Modern Justice