36 George E. Hozvard, 



tors of the peace, and m this capacity they had police juris- 

 diction. Such were the lord chancellor, the lord treasurer, 

 the vice-chancellor, the lord steward, the lord high constable, 

 the lord marshal, the justices of the king's bench, and the 

 king himself. These exercised authority throughout the 

 whole realm. Other dignitaries were conservators within 

 certain limits. Thus the justices of the common pleas and 

 the barons of the exchequer were guardians of the peace 

 within the precincts of their respective courts ; and the 

 justices of assize might "award a man to prison that break- 

 eth the peace in their presence, . . . command the keeping 

 of the peace under a paine, and that weapons be taken from 

 the jurors or witnesses, that appear before them, if any com- 

 plaint be thereupon made" ; but as merely justices of assize, 

 they could "neither take suretie of the peace, nor award any 

 processe for it."^ In like manner the marshal and the 

 steward of the king's house were conservators of the peace 

 within the dwelling ; as, by prescription, was the steward of 

 the Marshalsea within the verge.^ Finally the steward of the 

 sheriff's tourn or other court leet, while in the execution of 

 his office, could take presentment of any offence against the 

 peace or commit to ward any one engaging in an affray in his 

 presence.^ 



As there were many officers, so there were various tribunals 

 possessing police jurisdiction. Tjje sheriffs' tourn sat twice 

 a year in each hundred of the shire to view frankpledge and 

 try causes. The courts leet of the manors and boroughs, 

 meeting also twice each year,f possessed criminal jurisdiction. 

 The old county court, under presidency of the sheriff, con- 

 tinued to exercise a remnant of its original power, though 



1 Lambard, Eirenarcha, 13. - Lambard, Eirenarcha, 13. 



^ But the steward and suitors of a court baron could not commit to custody : 

 Lambard, Eirenarcha, 14. On these ex officio conservators, cf. Dalton, 77^;? 

 Country yustice, 1-6; 'Qxixn, yustice 0/ the Peace, /^2l; Blackstone, Co?nmentaries, 



I. 349-50- 



* Gneist, II, 166, 170. On the classification of courts in the age of Edward I, 

 see Maitland's Introduction to Select Pleas in Manorial Courts : Selden Society, 



II, pp. XV ff. 



270 



