A Brief History of Wareham Court Leet

The Court Leet of the Manor of Wareham is one of the few surviving remains of a once powerful feudal court system.

The word 'leet' is ancient and possibly derives from the Anglo-French word 'Iitte' meaning a list and the word is still in use in Scotland for a list of candidates for office.

The court leet would have dealt with everything within the Manor of Wareham concerned with local government amid the maintenance of law and order. Such courts originated in the century following the Norman Conquest some 800 years ago and in those days, two forms of this system of local government were in force:

Courts Baron was the automatic right of a Lord to settle disputes etc. and to aid in the administration of his estate, but they had no right to deal with crimes or punish offenders.

Courts Leet were the more powerful courts of criminal jurisdiction, granted by the King to one of his trusted Tenants-in-chief In those days, law and order was also self-administered by the 'Frankpledge' system, where people were responsible for the conduct of one another in groups of ten householders (hence the word 'tithe' meaning a tenth); if one offended then the other nine were held responsible.

When necessary, the 'Hue and Cry' system aided in the speedy apprehension of offenders. With the establishment of democratic Parliament and local government control, the court leet system gradually lost its powers: After the I880s courts leet no longer imposed fines. In 1925 the 'Law of Property Act' abolished many manorial rights; and, finally In 1977 court leet functions were further reduced to their current level during local government reorganization.