World History

5.

Form of Proceeding on the Judicial Visitation.

1194. (Latin text in Stubbs, Select Charters, ninth edition, pp. 252–257. Translation by the editor.)

In the first place there are to be chosen four knights from the whole county, who upon their oath shall choose two lawful knights from each hundred or wapentake, and these two shall choose upon their oath ten knights from the several hundreds or wapentakes; or, if knights be lacking, lawful and free men, so that these twelve may at the same time make answer upon all the heads for the whole hundred or wapentake.

[There follow twenty-five heads or articles showing a great variety of both judicial and general administrative business upon which the jurors were questioned. The twentieth article refers to coroners, who were probably chosen by some form of popular election in the county court.]

20. Moreover, in each county let there be chosen three knights and one clerk keepers of the pleas of the crown.