MAINPERNOR

In old practice. A surety for the appearance of a person under arrest, who is delivered out of custody into the hands of his bail. “Mainpernors” differ from “bail” in that a man’s bail may imprison or surrender him up before the stipulated day of appearance; mainpernors can do neither, but are barely sureties for his appearance at the day. Bail are only sureties that the party be answerable for the special matter for which they stipulate; mainpernors are bound to produce him to answer all charges whatsoever. 3 Bl. Comm. 128. Other distinctions are made in the old books. See Cowell.