page_title: Court of Minstrels
section_title: Ceremony of the court
hierarchical_section_title: Court of Minstrels / Ceremony of the court
caption_attribution_description: Bull-running
context_page_description: The Court of Minstrels was a court held in Tutbury, Staffordshire, for minstrels from the nearby counties. The court was founded by John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, who held Tutbury Castle, for the encouragement of the minstrels' art and for their better regulation. A King of the Minstrels governed the court and juries of minstrels adjudicated in disputes and complaints. The court met annually at Tutbury on the Assumption of Mary, 15 August, and the following day held entertainments including the Tutbury bull run. The court was ordered to cease in 1778 but seems to have continued into the early 19th century.
context_section_description: The court met on the day of the Assumption of Mary, 15 August, and all minstrels in the jurisdiction were compelled to attend on penalty of a fine of three shillings and four pence.  The minstrels assembled at the house of the bailiff of the Manor of Tutbury and proceeded, in procession, to St Mary's Church (which was the church of Tutbury Priory).  This procession was led by the bailiff and the steward of Tutbury together with the "King of the Minstrels", who was elected annually, attended by four of his own stewards.  After a church service the minstrels proceeded to Tutbury Castle to hold court.
  Two juries, each of fifteen men, were assembled, one of minstrels from Staffordshire and one of representatives of the other counties.  The court then undertook its business of adjudicating disputes and levying fines.  Afterwards the juries met to select a new king for the following year from among the stewards and also to elect four new stewards, two for Staffordshire and two for the other counties.  Afterwards the new king was formally invested with his wand of office by the outgoing king, during a banquet.
  After another meal, dinner, the minstrels processed to the priory gate to witness the Tutbury bull run, a blood sport entertainment in which a bull, provided by the priory, was let loose through the streets.  The bull would be chased by the minstrels who could claim it for their own, if caught.  The bull was thereafter eaten by those assembled.  After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Duke of Devonshire, who had acquired the priory estates, provided the bull and the event commenced from the barn of the town's bailiff.
caption: An 1821 depiction of a bull run elsewhere in England
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