COURT-LEET

The name of an English court of record held once in the year, and not oftener, within a particular hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of the leet; being the king’s court granted by charter to the lords of those hundreds or manors. Its office was to view the frankpledges, that is, the freemen within the liberty; to present by jury crimes happening within the jurisdiction; and to punish trivial misdemeanors. It has now, however, for the most part, fallen into total desuetude; though In some manors a court-leet Is still periodically held for the transaction of the administrative business of the manor. Mozley A Whitley.