Court Books and Verdicts

The series contains five court books (EGR2/5/1/3-4, /6 & /8-9), eight bundles (EGR2/5/1/2, /5 & /10-15) and one file (EGR2/5/1/7) of verdicts or records of proceedings at the sessions of the court leet and view of frankpledge with court baron held for the manor and fee of Bollin cum Norcliffe. Five items primarily or exclusively consist of verdicts for pleas between parties (EGR2/5/1/2, /4-5 & /8-9). There is also a parchment roll for the court or hallmote of Norcliffe (EGR2/5/1/1). The verdicts adhere to a common format. The headings appear to have been drawn up in standard form before the court, with the name of the manor in the left-hand margin, and the title, date and place of the court, and the name of the steward recited in the first paragraph, followed by a list of the jurors sworn. The orders and amercements made by the jury are then recorded. In some cases these may have been written up during the proceedings, but in others they appear to have been compiled afterwards and were received at the next session. Each verdict concludes with the signatures of the jurors.