LEWISHAM COURT LEET REMINISCENCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 January 1926, Page 16

LEWISHAM COURT LEET REMINISCENCES.

A STORY OF OLD KENT

TREASURE TROVE at SOUTHEND

Glimpses of th e Lewisham of the pastare afforded by recoil-actions of the days when, the Court Leet; which held its final meeting a icav days ago, was the principal administrative body in the district. Before the fields around Lee, Hither Green and Catford' became covered with houses, there Avere many 'duties which fell to the Court which have now been rendered unnecessaiy or have passed to more modern bodies. Mr F. Atkins, who. has been connected with the Court for over 30 years, first as constable, and 'ater as bailiff, related some of his reminiscences to a representative of “The Kentish Mercury” a few days ago. Mr Atkins’ greatgrandfather was once the bailiff, the office passing to his grandfather, then to his father, and later to his brother, the- late Air Charles Atkins, whom Air E. Atkins succeeded. In former days the administration of the Manor and the Court included the infliction oi fines for defective Aveights and measures. When the Metropolitan Board of Works was formed that body took over this work, and on the formation of the London County Council they Avere transferred to, that Council. THE DAYS OF THE POUND. The officers of the Court, in addition to the steAvaid (the last oi whom is Mi H. Lswin), were a- kail iff, . constable-., aleconners and common drjveis, ana a constable frequently duplicated the two officers last named. The tangible evidence of the existence of the Court Leet in former days was the pound in High-street, now the site of a bn lard saloon. In this pound Avere placed cattle that had been found on the premises of local farmers. It is necessary to explain that the cattle “locked-up here were not those found straying on public- roads (over which the police had jurisdiction), but horses and other beasts Avhich were illegally put to. graze on 'meadows and fields of the farmers. • in the olden days there existed at j Hither Green a gipsy colony, and the gipsies were prone to turn their cattle on to the adjacent meadoivs, or on growing crops for the matter or that. When the farmer discovered such cattle on his hind lie drove them to, the I pound, Avhero tlic bailiff took charge oi thorn and ga\m the owners part ot a “tolly.” That may have E-en a broken stick', the bailiff retaining the other part. Until the owner of the cattle could produce the farmer’s part of the tal'y. showing that he had settled the claims for damage, his animals were kept in captivity and xvere subject to certain fees for maintenance. Quite a respectable revenue Avas derived from the pound. Noav the meadows.have disappeared under bricks and mortar, and the gipsies arc hut a memory. ALE-TASTING. The ale-couner avhs a person of some importance in former times. He had the power to visit the ale-houses, call for a glass of beer, and determine its qualities in the orthodox manner. Should me gravity be deficient, or the beverage be otherwise below the standard set by the ale-conner, pains and penalties followed. The ale-conner Avould be a busy man in these days ii all that is said and xvritten about the quality and strength of present-day beer is true. The Court had jurisdiction over Blackheath and other local commons, and there used to be frequent “arrests” of cattle that were illegally broAVSing upon them. Henc-e the common-drivers. GOLD AT SOUTHEND. According to Mr W. <T. Dyer, Joi many years foreman of the jury, and Mr Lewin, tho steward, the only possible relic of tho powers ot the Court that may uoav remain are tliofee with regard to treasure, trove, which, it seems, is not specifically dealt with in the.- new legislation that will alio ish Court Leet. The last case ol treasuie trove dealt with by the Court originated from Southend. There a man ploughing on the estate oi Ihe late Major Forster turned up three or lour earthem pots ol gold coins. An inquest was he'd at the Black Horse Inn, Catford; evidence was given by Lite ploughman and by Major Forster, and in the end it was decided that the “find” AViis treasure trove and it was handed over to the Crown. Should any gold o,r minerals he discovered on the lands in the Manor in future the point wilj be sure to arise as to the jurisdiction of the lord of the Manor. M r Atkins well remembers reading a Bill announcing this inquest, and it is believed that full details are in the possession of one of the local antiquarian societies. Mr Atkins’ father kept a diary, in which lie was to enter dai y all the occurrences associated with, his office as bailiff. The av hereabouts of the bosk is not known, but it must have been an -interesting volume. ANCIENT STAFFS.

The sole insignia of office of the bailiff and constables was a staff. *lhere were -originally four of them in existence, one of them being shyer-mounted, but all trace of that and one of. the others has been lost. The two in existence have been handed down from officer to officer for over -IHJ years anci are much cherished by their .possessors. A suggestion has been made that a col’ection of Court Beet relics should he got together and exhibited in a public place iii tho borough. To discover tho whereabouts of the keys of the pound might constitute an interesting search, and there is a considerable amount or historical data which might be pieced together for the purpose of historical record. We believe, that a suggestion has been made that the stewards’ books shall be handed over to the British Museum for safe custody. One matter referred to at the fin a dinner may be related. Mr Howin, the steward, drew attention to the fact that the Court Beet had controlled on. •:,f the finest commons in England, Blaekheatli Common, and during the war the military authorities desired to To certain things, but they con’d not lie carried out without the consent of th * Lord of the, Manor. In these circumstances the foreman of the jury. Mr \V. .1. Dvor, rendered useful service by giving advice and assistance in the picservation of the aimuiil i: s of the Heath. As Mr l,ewin then said, the abolition of Court. Beet marks, a severance of the association of land with, the life of the people* that had exist' d for many years. Mr liver’s long association with the Court is shown by the fact, that be has served under no less than four stewards. and lie has naid public tribute to Mr Bewin as having upheld the pecu- : uv traditions of th-? office in a conspicuously successful and efficient va\.