Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/64

 mSTORT OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. 43 upon it We quote the following, bearing on the subject, fix)m "Baileys Agriculture of Durham :*' — The fairs here are very insignificant : a few pigs and lean sheep, and sometimes half-a-dozen young cattle, and two or three milch cows, are in general what are exhibited here. The Fair days are — ^the Thursday next before Ascension Day, Corpus-Christi Day, and the Thursday next preceding the 10th of October, yearly. The Halmot* Courts, copyhold and freehold, established in former times — ^though shorn of much of their importance by modem Acts of Parliament — ^yet had great power, during the age about which we are writing, not only in settling disputes and debts, but in regulating markets and fairs. The BailiflT, or " Grieve," as he was then called, took the tolls, and looked after the business of the market, arranging matters between buyer and seller, putting down brawling, &c. " No person or persons whatever doe henseforth scolde one another on payne of 68. 8d." The privileges of the market were under his care, and no " Foreigners,'* as outsiders were termed, were suffered to sell any com before the ringing of the com bell, imder " payne" of the same sum. Tradesmen were not allowed to take advantage of each other by commencing business before the appointed time ; aU were to begin at once, and have an equal chance. Fair weights and measures were indispensable ; and it was the duty of the Bailiff to provide the same, according to the King's standard, for the weighing of butter and other commodities offered for sala When old John Middlewood, who was BaUiff some few years ago, made his appearance in the market on a Thursday, with his scales and weights under his arm, he caused a feeling of consternation amongst the farmers' wives, which was at times rather amusing. Although these old courts have long ceased to have any supervision over the markets and fairs, and their aid in recovering debts has been superseded by the establishment of the county courts, yet there is still a Halmot Court held by the Steward of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, where some few pence and pepper corns are paid in lieu of suit and service due by the copyholders of tenements and lands within the Manor. Once every year the bellman goes roimd the town announcing that the said court will be held, " for the Manor of Bondgate in Auckland, &c.," and calling on all those who are liable to such suit and service to appear and answer, t Bishop Auckland is an ancient Borough by prescription, and many of its tenements are held by burgage tenure, which confers certain market privilegea It had, therefore, its Borough, as well as its Halmot Court, over which the Bishop, for the time being, was also Lord. This seems to have been a kind of Court leet, and distinct from the Manor Courts of the Bishop. Hence its records are not to be found in the archives at Durham. The author has, however, in his possession, an old document which proves its existence, and of which the following is a translation : — BoBonoH OF Auckland. — ^To this Court came James Fair, and made his suit and service to the Lord for one burgage or tenement, with the appurtenances in Auckland aforesaid, which Francis Watson and John Todd, by an indenture, dated 10th March, 1712, granted to the said James, to leave to the said James, his executors, administrators, and assigns, for the residue of a term of 99 years, then next following, and he is thereof admitted tenant. The above document is signed by Greorge Bowes, steward, who successively held the offices of Solicitor and Attomey-Greneral of the County Palatine. The following are from the copyhold records of Durham, extracted specially for this work : — OcTOBEB 13th (11th Tbab of Bishop Ruthall). — John Bobinson, of Escomb, fined 12d. for not repairing the hedges of his garden. Same Date. — All the tenants ordered to take their grain to the Mill of the Lord under a penalty of 3s. 4d. time and frequency, but afterwards settled at twice in the year : once after Easter, and again after Michaelmas. t Rather a droll anecdote is told of old " Jinney'* Newton, who used to make a livinflt by wheeling out mannra *' Jinney,'* hearing this announcement by the bellman, confounded the word manor with manure (vulgarly called " mann^*), and, supposing he was publishing an interdict a^nst her trade, she launched out into a string of abuse, using epithets not the most polite against " Anld Jackey," whom she met shortly afterwards, declaring ** he was allways interfering wi' poor folk trying to get a bit honest living." Digitized by Google
 * From Halmotos, the hall-meeting. These Conrts were held in a routine called "^tamns," a circait, at first undetermined as to