Early Stuart Courts Leet: Still Needful and Useful
Authors
Walter J. King
Abstract
Research of the past twenty years has corrected the view that post-medieval leets
were decadent and has demonstrated that many Tudor leets remained active and powerful.
This article attempts to demonstrate that several early Stuart leets were not "decadents",
but still exercised jurisdiction over many misdemeanors and satisfied the desire and need
for local, inexpensive, neighbourly justice. Given the local character of early Stuart
society, and the dependence of justices upon inferior officers, courts leet were needful and
useful.
