This applied to every boy who had reached the age of
twelve. He had to swear on the Bible "I will be a lawful man and
bear loyalty to our lord the King and his heirs, and I will be
justicable to my chief tithing man, so help me God and the
saints." Each tithing man paid a penny to the sheriff.
The hundred court decided cases of theft, viewing of boundaries of
land, claims for tenurial services, claims for homage, relief, and
for wardship; enfeoffments made, battery and brawls not amounting
to felony, wounding and maiming of beasts, collection of debts,
trespass, detinue [detention of personal property which originally
was rightfully acquired] and covenant, which now requires a sealed
writing; defamation, and enquiries and presentments arising from
the assizes of bread and ale and measures. A paid bailiff had
responsibility for the hundred court, which met every three weeks.
Still in existence is the old self-help law of hamsocne, the thief
hand-habbende, the thief back-berend, the old summary procedure
where the thief is caught in the act, AEthelstan's laws, Edward
the Confessor's laws, and Kent's childwyte [fine for begetting a
bastard on a lord's female bond slave]. Under the name of "actio
furti" [appeal of larceny] is the old process by which a thief can
be pursued and goods vindicated. As before and for centuries
later, deodands were forfeited to the king to appease God's wrath.
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