78 Bradford-upon-Avon. [ The Manor. 
There are no documents known to be in existence of sufficiently 
early a date, from which exact information can be obtained respect- 
ing the Courts held within the Manor during the days of the Abbess 
of Shaftesbury. We have, however, authentic records of the pro- 
ceedings of such Courts within thirty years of the dissolution of 
Monasteries, and no doubt they were formed on the same model, 
and carried out with similar formalities, as those which existed 
previously to that period. 
It is implied in the document that we have cited in the previous 
page, that there were held under the authority of the Abbess, 
either directly or indirectly, at least two distinct Courts, one for 
the Manor and another for the Hundred, as the profits derivable 
from each of these are reckoned in the estimate given of her 
revenue. There appears to have been a separate Court for the 
Borough, held most probably at the same time and under the same 
presidency as the Court for the Hundred. The first-named Court 
was the Court Baron, the other two came under the denomination 
of Courts Leer. In the former was transacted business more espe- 
cially of a civil character, and hence the Court was held solely in the 
name and under the authority of the Lord for the time being;—in 
the latter, matters of a criminal nature were allowed to be consi- 
dered, and the Court was accordingly held under the authority of 
the King. Hence the Homagers, or Free-holders, or others, as the 
case might be, were summoned by the Steward to attend the “Court 
Leet and View of Frankpledge of our Lord the King, and Court 
Baron of Lord of the said Manor, Hundred, and 
Borough of Bradford.” 
I. Tue Court Baron. 
This was the court at which all business relating to the Manor 
was transacted. The customary tenants or copyholders attended, 
and through their Homage, a selected body of themselves chosen 
at the meeting of the court surrendered or were admitted to their 
holdings, paid their quit rents, and managed all business matters 
relating to their several tenures. The Homage presented all cases 
in which the Lord’s interests had suffered damage, such as by 
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