LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

In 1290 the free tenants were said to owe suit of court every three weeks, (fn. 82) but in 1251 the tenants were said to be without a court and there is no evidence that courts were held. (fn. 83)

In 1650, in spite of Sir Christopher Clapham's protest that it was a parish in its own right, West Twyford was treated as a chapelry of Willesden, (fn. 84) with which it was assessed for the hearth tax (fn. 85) and to which it paid poor rates in the late 17th century. (fn. 86) In 1705, however, Edmund Life, tenant of the manor, brought a successful action against Willesden's parish officers, who had indicted him for failing in highway repairs. (fn. 87) During the 18th century the farmer of the manor acted as churchwarden and in 1795 avoided the burden of paupers by hiring servants for only 12 months at a time. (fn. 88) In 1801 West Twyford was described as extra parochial, as it remained until it became a civil parish under the Act of 1857. (fn. 89)

Footnotes