ABSTRACT
The actual constitution of the Lord’s Court was, however, in some places more complicated than is described by the lawyers. The wide area of the Vale of Berkeley, comprising the ancient Hundred of that name in the County of Gloucester, had been ruled over, time out of mind, by a series of mutually related Courts of the Lord of Berkeley Castle. There was the Court for the Hundred of Macclesfield, held annually as the “Court of Great Leet” and monthly as a Court Baron or “Court of Trials,” exercising authority over the whole of Liberty of the Hundred. In some cases the surviving Hundred Court appears simply to have outlived the Hierarchy, whilst often itself combining with the Court of its principal Manor. The Hundred Courts which remained in private hands are scarcely to be distinguished from the Courts of Franchises, Liberties, Lordships, or Honours which had obtained exemption from the jurisdiction of, or concurrent jurisdiction with, the County Court.
