FEUDAL LAWS STILL IN FORCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 29 March 1930, Page 5

FEUDAL LAWS STILL IN FORCE

WHERE ENGLAND REMAINS MEDIEVAL

_ Medieval England does not exist only in the form of ancient castles, cathedrals and manors. In the county of Kent, at least, a feudal state still exists—a state where the lord possesses his ancient rights and enforces them with the aid of existing Jaw. On estates near Scvenoaks, Kent, when a tenant, dies or sells his land, the lord of the manor claims -as of ancient right bis best beast. 'When it is a hen, little attention is attracted. li it happens to be a pig or a cow, that is a matter of more importance I'm, when some lime ago the tenant of one of these estates sold n piece of land lor £IBO and the lord seized a racehorse, worth DIOOO. he protested. Onder the feudal law he was aide to agree with Ihe lord, who was undoubtedly more interested in maintaining the. right than in keeping the horse, whereby he paid 10 per cent, of the value of the. laud sold (£18) to the lord and hud the horse returned to him. In another similar case a man whose £, r i() bullock had been taken was permitted 1.. buv is bach for €3O. Though the rights of the lords of tho manor are not mentioned in the deeds to property in Kent, they are perfectly sound in law. and ignorance of the obligations of the tenant to the lord is no excuse for not fulfilling them. Herbert Knocker, solicitor for the steward of one estate, who has handled many such cases, says thai he has never lost an action yet. From time lo time the ancient barons' court, is held. The last, such gathering look place at the Bull Inn. Otford, last November. It was the first barons' court, in six years. Tenants are summoned to attend and musl pay a small line if they do not appear. The tenants swear fealty to their lords and (bo steward reads" an account of thii deaths, sales ami other events thai have occurred since ihe last court. Dues are paid. (hou»h this part of the gathering is more a ceremony than a financial obligation. Ihe .-minimi sometimes being no more than Id a head. (The highest in recent years was Is 4d).