J 
— = 
91 
giving him a fresh start in the world of credit. A feudal king was 
not, therefore, by any means, a rich or independent man; and, as 
for mercenary troops, he had none, but was dependent upon the 
vassals and sub-vassals of the barons for his army. Forty days 
was the extent of service which could be demanded at any one 
time ; and the more warlike a people were the more independent 
they became ; for, being both soldiers and subjects, civil privileges 
and immunities were the consequences of their victories and the 
rewards of their exploits. The barons thus, as I said before, 
gradually became more and more powerful; and though at first 
kings appear to have been the supreme judges of the people, and 
heard in person all causes and controversies, the nobles gradually 
were entrusted with the administration of justice within their 
baronies, probably, it is thought, at first only temporary grants on 
account of the number of suits increasing, but ultimately converted 
into rights which became hereditary. Here we have, I think, the 
origin not only of Courts Baron, but also of Courts Leet, where 
justice was dispensed in all cases, civil and criminal, by the baron 
or judges appointed by him. Almost every question in which a 
person residing on the lands of a noble was interested was decided 
by the noble himself, or by judges appointed by him. I shall 
have subsequently to elaborate somewhat upon what I have said 
concerning the feudal king and his vassals, when I come to treat of 
the different tenures and customs, and therefore will now proceed 
to give a short history of the manors I have ventured to make the 
subject of this paper. 
THE BARONS OF KENDAL. 
The Barony of Kendal was originally a very extensive one. 
It comprised the whole of the Kendal and Lonsdale Wards in the 
County of Westmorland, and some parts of the neighbouring 
County of Lancaster. It was given by William the Conqueror to 
Ivo de Tailbois, brother to the Earl of Anjou, who married Elgiva, 
daughter of the Saxon King Ethelred. From him the barony 
descended by regular and direct succession to William de Tailbois, 
the fifth baron, who was Governor of Lancaster Castle, from which 
