LOCAL GOVERNMENT
In 1274 the earl of
Oxford had gallows, and held view of frank-
pledge and the assizes of bread and of ale in his
manor. (fn. 39) The prior was holding courts leet for
his manor by 1441. (fn. 40) On the earl's manor in the
15th century, the annual courts leet heard pleas
of assault and bloodshed, including in 1423 rape,
and elected two constables and two ale-tasters.
Both courts leet and courts baron recorded
transfers of copyholds and leases of the demesne,
regulated tradesmen and artisans, heard pleas of
debts under 40s., and dealt with unscoured
ditches, obstructions of the highway, stray ani-
mals, and villein tenants who had left the manor
without licence. At general courts in 1410 and
1418 defendants pledged their law with 12 and
6 hands respectively. The bailiff accounted for
felons' goods in 1415. In 1429 the earl and his
tenants agreed on a bylaw against defamation or
scandal-spreading. (fn. 41)
Business in 16th- and early 17th-century
courts on both manors was similar, although
constables were not normally elected on the
priory manor. (fn. 42) From 1554 regular orders were
made against taking in lodgers and illegal cottage
building. A priory manor tenant was presented
in 1505 for endangering his neighbours by keep-
ing peacocks. The earl's manor court in 1511
forbade tenants to play games after 10 p.m.,
except at Christmas. (fn. 43) The settlement in 1623 of
a dispute between Richard Harlakenden and his
tenants over woods and pollingers on their copy-
holds, which had reached Star Chamber, was
entered on both court rolls. (fn. 44)
From the mid 17th century leet business
declined on both manors until it was almost
entirely confined to the election of constables
and aletasters for Earls Colne manor. Leets
ceased to be held on the priory manor c. 1680,
except for one leet in 1724. The usual pattern
in the 18th century was for a court leet for Earls
Colne manor to be followed immediately by a
court baron for the priory manor; both dealt
exclusively with transfers of copyholds. After
1780 only courts baron were held, until they
ceased in 1885. (fn. 45) In the 17th century courts were
held at the Bell inn; in 1884 at the George. (fn. 46)
The stocks and pillory on the earl's manor
were out of repair in 1426, and the stocks and
the cage in 1770. (fn. 47) A cage stood near the church
in 1728, another on Colne green c. 1800. (fn. 48)
In 1728 the vicar was said to have attended
vestry meetings so seldom that he had not nomi-
nated a churchwarden for years. (fn. 49) From the
1740s or earlier the Easter vestry was called the
town meeting. Occasional extraordinary meet-
ings of 'townsmen' were held at the Blue Boar
in the 1740s, and at the Lion in 1764. (fn. 50)
In 1579 a town house was used for the poor
and for meetings, but in 1607 it was leased to a
tenant. (fn. 51) It may have been Oldhall on Colne
green, held by trustees for the poor in 1678,
which was converted into a workhouse in 1740. (fn. 52)
Inmates span wool from the 1740s until 1805.
By 1785 and 1786 others were employed hop-
picking and stone-picking. (fn. 53) In the early 19th
century the house held c. 21 people, presumably
reflecting the accommodation available. In 1805
it comprised a great ward equipped for weaving,
a parlour, the governor's chamber, four other
rooms, and the old house, and it held 19 cribs
or beds. (fn. 54) In 1838 the house was sold to Mary
Gee who demolished it. (fn. 55)
Although in 1724 the parish agreed to arrange
to send paupers to Halstead workhouse, between
1728 and 1731 19-23 people received 'standing
collection', presumably outdoor relief. From
1729 to 1757 or later the overseers retained a
surgeon to treat the poor. (fn. 56) From the 1740s to
the 1760s outrelief was only given occasionally,
usually in times of sickness. By 1772 several
pensions of c. 1s. a week were being paid to
paupers outside the workhouse, some of them
apparently from other parishes. (fn. 57) The number
of such pensions rose steadily to 53 in 1801, then
fell to 29 in 1809 before reaching a peak of 65
in 1813. By 1824 there were c. 20 outpen-
sioners. (fn. 58) Occasional payments were made for
clothes and shoes. (fn. 59)
Expenditure on the poor more than doubled
between 1776 and 1783-5, from c. £194 to an
average of £423. (fn. 60) By 1803 it had increased to
c. £625, of which £393 was spent on the work-
house and £232 on outrelief; the amount per
head of population, c. 13s., was low for the hun-
dred. Expenditure rose to £1,464 in 1813, then
almost halved to £744 in 1815. It rose sharply
to £1,477 in 1817, fell to £603 in 1823, and then
rose slowly to £896 in 1834. (fn. 61) Expenditure per
head of population, ranging from a high point
of £1 8s. in 1813 to a low of c. 10s. in 1823,
remained among the lower rates in the hundred
and was similar to those of the small towns of
Dedham, Wivenhoe, and Coggeshall.