Manorial Notice

• Notice of General Court Baron to be held at the Manor House
• The Manor of Southchurch otherwise Southchurch Hall
• Document dated 18 February 1761
• 203 x 165mm (8 x 6½in)
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The National Archives tells us that "The manor was essentially an administrative unit of a landed estate, varying in size from a few acres within a single parish to manors covering several whole parishes" and "The court baron was the court of the chief tenants of the manor. It was responsible for the internal regulation of the local affairs within the manor. The court was attended by all those free tenants whose attendance at court was a condition of their tenure, and by customary tenants. Customary tenants, the most significant of which were copyholders, held land by an agreement made at the manor court which was entered on its roll, a 'copy' of which was regarded as proof of title."

The court baron dealt with tenancies and was being summoned in the above document because of the death of "Thomas Case Clark late a Customary Tenant of the said Manor" specifically to "Geo. Morrison and Sarah his wife and To all other Person and Persons who have any right or tithe to the above premises".