Duchy of Lancaster: Court Rolls

By the fourteenth century, court rolls generally were becoming increasingly formalised in structure and extensive in length. The lord's steward presided over the court, while a clerk recorded the proceedigns (in Latin until 1733, except for the Interregnum), often entering successive courts on one continuous roll. Sometimes, especially in the seventeeth century, a draft made at the same time and a fair copy written up later. The business of the court included questions of land tenure, customary payments, settlements of disputes and minor woundings, regulation of the assizes of bread and ale and election of officials.

By the sixteenth century, these courts had begun to decline with the increasing use of hired labour and subsequent use of hired labour and subsequent changes in estate management. In the nineteenth century, much copyhold material was converted to freehold, although the administration of copyhold material was converted to freehold, although the administration of copyhold land tenure by manorial courts, continued until copyhold tenure was finally abolished by the Law Of Property Act 1922. Following this Act, copies of the court roll (being the necessary evidences for conveyances of copyhold tenureland) were placed with all other manorial records under the charge of the Master of the Rolls, by the Law of property (Amendment) Act 1924, which also made provision for rules to be drawn up concerning their control and custody.