Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/308

 .Chap. VIII. OF MA 1LC HESTER. m of thefame period the lord of Pilkington near Manchester is equally mentioned to pofiefs one fourth of a fee from the fame baron courts determined all the diiputes emergent in the little king- doms of the Britons. But to the king's own private determi- nation were referred all caufes that related to the crown, re- .Ipefted the king, or belonged to any of the royal family *. All thefe Gorieddau or courts of judicature muft have been confiantly convened under the Romans, as they were certainly afiembled. at firft, in the open air, upon the fummit or the dope of an. hill, within; fome appropriated circle of {tones or fome appropriated amphitheatre of ftones and turf. In the re- gions of CalfidQnia and Ireland they, were afiemhled for ages after this period upon, the fide of an ; hill,, and the judges were ieated upon green banks of earth ;. the grounds being formerly deno- minated die Mute, or Moot, Hills in Caledonia,, and being pow entitled the Parle or Parling Hills in Irdland 19 « And in the Romanized regions, of Britannia Seeunda cur Wales even .the fa— 4>rerne judicature of the. kingdom >. which was frequently held by the king/ in per ion, was in all caufes. of inheritance antiently convened in; the open air as late as the tenth century. ,0 . The judges, were paid for their decifions by the gainer of the caufe; ,and the rate of the payment was fettled by, the law. * ' . . And the judges, determined by v a Braw<My fr,. a Caufe-book,, or a code of laws, which appears to have been drawn up before the reign of Howel;. which, was afluredly compiled in. the period of the . Roman refidencs, and which contained all the antient inftitutes. mid authentic cuftoms of the country, the commonUaw of; Lancashire and of* Britain, 3. The cafualties of wrecks., aad oft reafore- trove belonged, to the king,. who was neceflarily ijv all the feudal kingdoms the general : owner, of fuch property as was challenged by no other claim-- ant * The half of the former however was refigned by tbe crown to the private lord of the domain upon which it was ajp- - . cidentally. thrown * The uninterrupted pofleflion of an.eftaie: xeaibnabiy conferred ao abiblute right to it ; but it vas the ; poflciFion.4
 * ' in antient farm and finding one judge for the king * 7 ." Thefe