210 THE USE OF THE LAW. 



concerning the crown by any other persons, or any pleas 

 of lands. Insomuch as the king, for further ease, having 

 divided this kingdom into counties, and committing the 

 charge of every county to a lord or earl, did direct that 

 Sheriff s Toum those earls, within their limits, should look to the matter of 

 instituted upon t he peace, and take charge of the constables, and reform 

 EnglamUnto public annoyances, and swear the people to the crown, and 

 counties, the take pledges of the freemen for their allegiance, for which 

 charge of this p ur p 0se the county did once every year keep a court, called 

 mhted toth th e Sheriff s Tourn ; at which all the county (except women, 

 earl of the same clergy, children under twelve, and not aged above sixty) 

 county, this ^id a pp ear to give or renew their pledges of allegiance. 

 Sled C And the court was called Cltria Franci Plegii, a View of 

 Viusfra. pieg. the Pledges of Freemen; or, Turnus Comitatus. 

 Subdivision of At which meeting or court there fell, by occasion of great 

 the county assemblies, much bloodshed, scarcity of victuals, mutinies, 

 hundreds and ^e ^ e m i sc hi e ^ s which are incident to the congrega 

 tions of people, by which the king was moved to allow a 

 subdivision of every county into hundreds, and every hun 

 dred to have a court, whereunto the people of every hun 

 dred should be assembled twice a year for survey of pledges, 

 and use of that justice which was formerly executed in 

 that grand court for the county; and the count or earl 

 appointed a bailiff under him to keep the hundred court. 

 But in the end, the kings of this realm found it necessary 

 to have all execution of j ustice immediately from themselves, 

 The charge of by such as were more bound than earls to that service, 

 the county an( j re adily subject to correction for their negligence or 

 earL&quot; and&quot; abuse ; and therefore took to themselves the appointing of 

 committed a sheriff yearly in every county, calling them vicecomttes, 

 yearly to such an d to them directed such writs and precepts for executing 

 pSdthe 1 * justice in the county as fell out needful to have been dis 

 king, patched, committing to the sheriff custodinm comitatus; 

 by which the earls were spared of their toils and labours, 

 The sheriff is and that was laid upon the sheriffs. So as now the sheriff 

 judge of all doth all the king s business in the county, and that is now 

 n^iven^wf called the Sheriff s Tourn ; that is to say, he is judge of 

 fiom S the&quot;rowru-this grand court for the county, and also of all hundred 



courts not given away from the crown. 



County Court He hath another court, called the County Court, belonging 



kept monthly to his office, wherein men may sue monthly for any debt 



by the sheriff. Qr c | amages un( ier forty pounds, and may have writs for to 



replevy their cattle distrained and impounded by others, 



and there try the cause of their distress ; and by a writ 



called Jmticies, a man may sue for any sum ; and in this 



