ABSTRACT
Manor courts were local courts, administered by stewards with juries comprised largely of peasants holding customary land in a circumscribed geographical area. The manor court directed the affairs of those subject to its jurisdiction to a far greater extent than a modern court. It is difficult to ascertain the extent to which manor courts were governed by what may be thought of today as extralegal factors in reaching a decision, for example, on equitable concerns arising from the circumstances of a particular case. The manor court could alter previously accepted practice by claiming, disingenuously, conformity with established custom. There was inconsistency within individual manor courts when enforcing broad legal principles. Diversity rather than consistency appears to mark the approach of manorial courts in resolving disputes regarding inheritance and illegitimacy. Manor courts basically concerned themselves with questions of administration rather than adjudication.
