LON 
The Courts of Wardmote are the reliques of the Saxon 
folkmote, from which they only differ in being compofed 
of the inhabitants of a fingle ward. They are fummoned 
by the lord-mayor, and are held before the alderman of 
the ward, or his deputy, to corrert diforders, remove an¬ 
noyances, and to promote the common intereft of the 
ward ; but, when the bufmefs of the court is the election 
of an alderman, the lord-mayor prefides. In this city, 
parifhes being as towns, and wards as hundreds, this court 
refembles that of the leet in the county ; for, as the latter 
derives its authority from the county-court, fo does the 
former from that of the lord-mayor; as is manifelt by the 
annual precept iffued by the lord-mayor to the feveral al¬ 
dermen, for holding their refpertive wardmotes on St. 
Thomas’s day, for the election of proper officers in each 
ward. 
The Court of Confervancy is held four times a-year, 
before the lord-mayor, at fuch places and times as he (hall 
appoint, within the refpertive counties of Middlefex, 
Effex, Kent, and Surry ; in which feveral counties he has 
a power of fummoning juries, who, for the better pre- 
fervation of the fifhery of the river Thames, and regula¬ 
tion of the fiffiermen that fi(h therein, are, upon oath, to 
make inquifition of all offences committed in and upon 
the faid river, from Staines-bridge, in the weft, to Yen- 
fleet, in the eaft. 
Court of Requefts, or Court of Confcience. This court 
determines all difputes between citizens, where the debt 
is under five pounds. It is of great ufe to perfons who 
have fmall debts owing to them, which they could not 
otherwile recover without entering into expenlive pro¬ 
ceedings; and it is alfo of great benefit to fuch perfons as 
are not able to pay their debts at once, as the court can 
order the payment to be made in fuch portions as are 
fuitable to the debtor’s circumftances. The lord-mayor 
and court of aldermen appoint, monthly, fuch aldermen 
and commons to fit as commillioners in this court, as they 
think fit; any three of whom compofe a court, kept in 
Guildhall-chapel, every VVednefday and Saturday, from 
eleven till two o’clock, to hear and determine fuch cafes 
as are brought before them. See p. 73, 85, of this article; 
and Courts, vol. v. p. 299. 
The Chamberlain’s Court is held daily, before the cham¬ 
berlain, to determine dift'erences between mailers and ap¬ 
prentices, to enroll and turn over the latter, and to admit 
all who are duly qualified to the freedom of the city. 
The Court of Orphans is held, occafionally, before the 
lord-mayordnd aldermen, who areguardiansto thechildren 
of all freemen, under the age of twenty-one years, at the 
deceafe of their fathers. The common-ferjeant of the 
city is authorized by the court of aldermen to take ac¬ 
counts and inventories of freemen’s ellates; and the 
youngeft attorney of the mayor’s court, being clerk to 
that of the orphans, is appointed to take fecurities for 
their feveral portions, in the name of the chamberlain of 
London, who, for this purpofe, is a foie corporation of 
liimfelf, for the fervice of the faid orphans. A recogni¬ 
zance, or bond, therefore, made to ! i n upon the account 
of an orphan, fliall, by the cultom ot London, defeend to 
his fucceffor. 
Juftice-hall Court, in the Old Bailey, is held eight 
times in a year, by the king’s commiffion of oyer and 
terminer, for trying offenders for crimes committed within 
the city of London and county of Middlefex. The 
judges of this court are, the lord-mayor, the aldermen 
pall the chair, and the recorder ; who, on all fuch occa- 
fions, are attended by both the rtieriffs, and, generally, by 
one or more of the national judges. The offenders, for 
crimes committed in the city, are tried by a jury of citi¬ 
zens ; and thofe committed in the county by a Middlefex 
jury. • _ 
The Coroner’s Court is held before the lord-mayor, 
who is perpetual coroner of the city, or his deputy, to en¬ 
quire into the caufe of the death of any perfon fuppofed 
to have come to an untimely end ; and likewife into the 
efcape of the murderer. It is alfo the duty of the coroner 
Vol. XIII. No. 930. 
DON. 597 
to make inquifition refperting treafure-trove, deodands, 
and wrecks atfea. See the article Coroner, vol. v. p. 220. 
To thefe courts may be added that called the Pie-powder 
Court, a court of record incident to eveiy fair, which is 
held in London before the lord-mayor and the fteward, 
during Bartholomew-fair, to adminifter juftice between 
buyers and fellers, and for the redrefs of fuch diforders as 
may arife there, in breach of the following proclamation, 
which is annually made before the lord-mayor, on the eve 
of St. Bartholomew, for the better regulation of the faid 
fair; which, being little known, and feldom diftinrtly 
heard, we fliall here fet down at length. “The Right 
Honourable Sir William Domville, Bart, lord-mayor of 
the city of London, and his right worffiipful brethren, 
the aldermen of the faid city, ftraightly charge and com¬ 
mand, on the behalf of our iovereign lord the king, that 
all manner of perfons, of whatfoever efhte, degree, or 
condition, they be, having recourfe to this fair, keep the 
peace of our Iovereign lord the king. That no perion or 
perfons make any congregation, conventicles, or affrays, 
by the which the fame peace may be broken or dilturbed, 
upon pain of imprifonment, and fine, to be made after 
the direction of the lord-mayor and aldermen. Alfo, 
that all manner of fellers of wine, ale, or beer, fell by 
meafures enfealed, as by gallon, pottle, quart, and pint* 
upon pain that will fall thereof. And that no perfon lhall 
fell any bread, except it keep the affife; and’that it be 
good and wholefome for man’s body, upon pain that will 
follow thereof. And that no manner of cook, pie-baker, 
nor huckrter, fell or put to fide any manner of virtual, 
except it be good and wholefome for man’s body, upon 
pain that will fall thereof. And that no manner of per¬ 
fon buy, nor fell but with true weights and meafures, 
l'ealed according to the ftatute in that behalf made, upon 
pain that will fall thereof. And that no perfon or per¬ 
fons take upon him or them, within this fair, to make 
any manner of arreft, attachment, fuinmons, or execu¬ 
tion, except it be done by the officers of this city there¬ 
unto affigned, upon pain that will befal thereof. And 
that no perfon or perfons whatfoever, within the limits or 
bounds of this fair, prefume to break the Lord’s day, in 
felling, liiowing, or offering to fide, or in buying, or of¬ 
fering to buy, any commodities whatfover; or in fitting, 
tippling, or drinking, in any tavern, inn, ale-houfe, tip- 
pling-houfe, or cook’s houfe, or in doing any other thing 
that may tend to the breach thereof, upon the pains and 
penalties contained in leveral arts of parliament, which 
will be feverely inflicted upon the breakers thereof. And, 
finally, that what perfons foever find themfelves grieved, 
injured, or wronged, by any manner of perfon, in this 
fair, that they come with their plaints before the ftewards, 
in this fair, affigned to hear and determine pleas ; and 
they will minifter to all parties juftice, according to the 
laws of the land, and cuftoms of this city.” 
The fuburbs of the city of London in Middlefex, are 
under the jurifdiftion of the jultices of the peace for the 
county, as part of the county. The county-hall for 
Middlefex is on Clerkenvvell-green ; and, in felfions held 
there quarterly, great part of the civil government of the 
fuburbs in Middlefex is exercifed. As it is of the higheft 
importance to ftrangers to be able to obtain redrefs in 
cafes of injury, a lift is fubjoined of the police-offices in 
London, Weliminfter, and Southwark, in which magif- 
trates fit every day: 
The Manfion-houfie. 
Guildhall. 
Bow-ftreet, Covent Garden. 
Queen-fquare, Weftminfter- 
Great Marlborough-ftreet. 
Hatton Garden, IIolborn. 
Worffiip-rtreet, Shoreditch, 
Lambeth-ftreet, Whitechapel. 
High-ftreet, Shadwell. 
Union-ftreet, Southwark. 
Wapping New-ftairs, for offences connected with the 
flapping and port of London. 
7 . N. The 
