Caernarvon (Wales : Borough)

Corporate body

Caernarvon (Wales : Borough)

The borough of Caernarfon was founded in 1284 as the centre of Edward I's administration of the newly conquered Principality of Wales. Most of the population of the town was Welsh, but they were prevented from being burgesses. Real political authority was held by the English burgesses, who exercised a degree of administrative independence: the town elected its own bailiffs every year to preside over its own courts; the sheriff of the county of Caernarfon could not interfere in its affairs; and it commonly retained the proceeds of the courts and other revenues in exchange for a fixed annual payment, although the privilege was good only for a term of years and, if renewed, might entail a higher payment. The burgesses could not elect their own mayor, that position being held ex officio by the Constable of the Castle, but he played little practical part in town government, and the burgesses seem to have carried on their government without the aid of bodies such as the common councils and aldermen which boroughs in England generally required. Justice was administered by four courts: the Great Tourn, the Town Court, the Court of the Fairs, and the Court of Piepowder. The Great Tourn was held before the town bailiffs, who in fact were the chief municipal officers, elected by the burgesses from among themselves every year at Michaelmas. It was held twice a year, commonly in March or April and in September, and was concerned both with police business (such as assaults and affrays, thefts and offences in regard to weights and measures) and with matters affecting the liberties and property of the town. The jury at the Tourn was generally comprised of the chief burgesses. The Town Court was supposed to be held every three weeks, and dealt with ordinary civil suits for trespass, debt, common assault and the like. It, too, was presided over by the bailiffs and appears to have had a jury. By the later fourteenth century it was increasingly acquiring the competence to deal with offenders under the Assize of Bread (originally reserved to the court of Ponderacio Panis), dating from 1324 and 1325, which was intended to secure an adequate supply of provisions for the town and to ensure that necessaries were sold at reasonable prices and were of satisfactory quality. The Court of the Fairs exercised jurisdiction over the four fairs that were held each year (on 6 May, 25 July, 29 September and 25 November) from 1351 - previously there had been only two. The court was held before the bailiffs a day or two after each fair to deal with contracts, debts, trespasses, non-payment of toll and other matters relating to traders at the fairs, and, as at the Town Court and the Tourn, a jury was used when necessary. A similar jurisdiction was exercised in the Court of Piepowder, which was tenable on any market day; a market was held every Saturday, but the court did not necessarily sit that often. The relation of this court to the Court of the Fairs is not altogether clear, as it appears that the Court of the Fairs could sometimes count as a Piepowder Court. Both of these courts presented opportunities for settling matters in which travellers from a distance were concerned, and the procedure was relatively speedy so that such people might not be delayed in the town. Nevertheless, it is clear that dwellers in the town also made use of these courts.

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