Extracts from Court Books and Rolls: Call List

Call list of Pennington court baron, 19 September 1700

Source: Cumbria Record Office, Whitehaven, D/Pen/186

Transcription (after preamble):

Commentary:

The call list was a list of all the tenants of the manor who owed suit of court and were thus expected to be present. At Pennington, as on many manors, there were both free tenants (liberi tenentes) and customary tenants ('tenants according to the custom of the manor': tenentes secundum consuetudinem manerii). The marks beside the names indicate whether or not they attended the sitting of the court. Those who had died since the last sitting were noted (mortuus, i.e. 'dead') and the name of their successor was entered. So, Henry Lindoe had died and was succeeded by John Danson; Thomas Fleming had been succeeded by Jennet; Plato Penney (who had held his property in the right of his wife (jure uxoris)) had been succeeded by James Penney. Other tenants might be excused attendance ('essoined'). Those absent without excuse could be amerced for non-attendance.

Follow this link for an example of a call book.

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