Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-10
Curious Town Privileges

TN Great Britain there arc many towns
u that for many generations have an
loved special and peculiar privileges OF
various kinds It was the custom until
a short time ago for immortal courts 70
hold Jurisdiction in certain areas. and
their rights to punish. reward levy tAxes
and make local appointments wore recog-
nized as thoroughly as arc today those
of the local assizes Of tho county counctls-
These courts were known as courts lest.
courts customary and courts baron. In
many places the sites where these utbu-
nails sat are still pointed out. Near Leo
minister, for instance. which Is Here
fordshire market town. q magnificent old
elm goes by the name Of the Court Leet
elm The court sat beneath its shade.
At Montisfort, near Romney. court
baron still survives. but its powers are
limited.
The village Of Beaconsneld. in Buok-
inghamshire, occasionally holds q court
leet the members Of which are selected
from the freeholders Of the place. This
court assemblies for the purpose OF chooe-
ing the parish constable. town crier. ale
faster and pay warden. The court must
be convened by the lord OF the manor. ana
meets very infrequently. There was .
meeting a couple Of years ago. the nEst
since 1893.
have for the most part disappeared. It
II
of towns or villages which enjoy Pc
culiar rights of sofne kind. When.
some years ago. an act OF parliament
robbed the cinque ports OF their most
ancient privileges. Brfghtingsea. q
cinaue port limb" or 'appanage." was
in some way overlooked. Consequently
its Inhabitants are still exempt from
serving on juries, they cannot be taken
by the press gang and the town can
still appoint its own ale faster.
Tx Dot
mony Of electing the mayor takes place
in the belfry Of the parish church.
and there is an ancient statute Still
unrepealed to the effect that the in
habitants have the privilege Of wreck
ing the house of any freeman who fs
foolish enough to refuse the honor OF
election to the towns chief civic
dignity.
In at least one manor. that Of the
Earl of Carnarvon, the Inhabitants may
cheerfully disregard the enactments OF
the ground game act. passed twenty-five
years ago. The ancient right of free
chase and warren over freehold land Is
still in force there Indeed. it was ac-
tually exercised a very few years ago,
and a private bill was brought into
parliament designed to do away with
it. The bill, however. failed to becones
a law.
The freedom of the city of London
carries with it, nominally. at any rate.
the right to keep pigs in the parish OF
st. James. Piccadilly. But even were
any one disposed to avail himself OF
this liberty, and if the sanitary au-
thorities failed to object, land in that
part of London is somewhat too costly
for profitable pig farming.
Much more sensible is the common
field" system enjoyed by the people OF
knockholt, Kent and at one or two other
places A common field" belongs to sepa-
rate owners and is divided into long, mar
row strips. each about ten yards wide.
Certain rules regulate its management.
The whole field is placed under one crop.
to the cultivation of which its owners
contribute equally. They then share the
proceeds of the crop, and after harvest
is in each and all of them enjoy the
right of shack'-that is. they may turn
their cattle in to feed over the stubble.
Chetwode Manor. in Buckinghamshtre.
is, by ancient law permitted to collect
what is known as the rhyme toll. For
autumn-an cattle passing on any road In
the liberty of the manor have to pay a
toll at the rate of two shfllings score.
The local tenants are permitted TO COM
pound for an annual payment OF one shil-
ling. The commencement Of the rhyme
toll is announced by the sounding of
horn, first at Church hill. Buckingham.
and then on the Oxfordshire border Of tho
manor.
Dunmow's fitch of bacon celebration is
a valuable asset in that it yields profit
to the town of about f200 sterling year.
1t appears that the town OF Wichnor. in
Staffordshire. has court roll Of the date
of King Edward III, which likewise per-
mits the lord Of the manor to present
fitch of bacon to a married couple who
have lived happily for year and a day.
There has never yet been claimant for
the Wichnor fitch, but it Is extremely
probable that the old right may be re-
! vived and Dunmow provided with a rival