92 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



vember 5, 1664. By it the King confirmed all the former 

 charters granted by his predecessor, for the good government of 

 the city of Lichfield, and conferred upon the citizens new and ex- 

 tensive privileges. In this charter, he appointed that two bailiffs 

 should be elected annually on St. James's day ; the senior bailiff to 

 be nominated by the Bishop, and his colleague by the Common 

 Council, consisting of one-and-twenty brethren, elected by the 

 citizens. That the bailiffs, or any of the Common Council, should, 

 upon ill behaviour, be liable to be removed by a majority of the body 

 corporate, and upon the removal or death of any of them, others 

 should be elected by the burgesses. That the bailiffs and Common 

 Council should be empowered by law to buy and sell, to sue and be 

 sued as a body corporate, by the name of the bailiffs and citizens of 

 the city of Lichfield, and have a common seal : that they should 

 have power to make bye-laws, and when reduced into writing, to 

 punish offenders against them. This charter further empowered 

 the Corporation to elect a recorder and a high steward, who should 

 be magistrates during life, and have power, together with the bailiffs 

 and justices, to hold courts of gaol delivery, and award judgment of 

 death, or other punishment, according to the nature of the offence, 

 and that no other judges or justices should have power in the city. 

 That the bailiffs and Common Council should elect one of their own 

 body corporate to be coroner, who should have the custody of all 

 records and writs, &c. That there should be four lairs held in the 

 city, yearly ; on Ash Wednesday, the Friday in the week after St. 

 Simon and St. Jude, the Friday after Twelfth-day, and on the 

 first day of May, old style ; and that the bailiffs should have all tolls. 

 That the bailiffs and Common Council should annually, on the feast of 

 St. James, (July 25th,) elect any one of the citizens and inhabitants 

 of this city, to serve the office of Sheriff of the city and county of 

 Lichfield : and that the sheriff should, on the feast of the nativity 

 of the Blessed Virgin Mary, (September 8,) yearly perambulate the 

 boundaries of the city and county of Lichfield, and the precincts 

 thereof. 



The sheriffs have from time immemorial perambulated the city and 

 county, being a circuit of sixteen miles, with numerous attendants, 

 as specified in the charters. Besides the court of gaol delivery, 

 there are other inferior courts held in Lichfield, particularly the 

 court of quarter sessions, pie-poudre court, and a court of record, 

 held by the authority of the bailiffs, for the recovery of debts 

 amounting to forty shillings and upwards. There are also three 



