THE HIGH COURT OF ST. AUGUSTINE.
THERE was belonging to the abbot and convent of
St. Augustine, A COURT, which they had the privilege
of holding, which was usually called the high court
of St. Augustine, being of the same kind as that
which was held by the prior and convent of Christ
church, within their precincts, as mentioned before;
this was a court of record, which in like manner was
held of their own vassals, before their bailiff for the
time being, from three weeks to three weeks, to hear
and determine pleas, actions of debts, &c. and subject to its authority, they had a gaol near the precinct of the monastery, within their borough of
Longport.
At this court were paid the several chief rents due
to the abbot and convent, from the estates held under
them, and it continued in force after the dissolution,
being from thenceforth held by a high-steward, appointed by the crown, from which it appears never to
have been granted away, and it continued to be so
held till within the memory of some not long since
deceased; but the profits of the court diminishing,
from the suits being removed and prosecuted in other
courts, the increase of stamps on their proceedings, and
various other causes, it grew less and less resorted to,
and was at last totally disused, insomuch, that the
memory of its having been, begins now to be almost
forgotten.
After the death of king Charles I. the liberty, commonly called the high court of the liberty of the late
dissolved monastery of St. Augustine, was surveyed in
1652, as part of the estates of the late king, by ordinance of parliament, in order to its being sold. In
this survey it was returned, that the chief or hamlet
rents, called lath or tithe silver, payable out of the
several townships, tythings and lands within the liberty, were 15l. 15s. 0½d. suit of court for the inhabitants of Minister, 23s. 4d. profits of courts of record
and court baron and royalties 23l. coroner and clerk
of the market 70s. schedule of the green wax 25l. (fn. 1) —
Total 67l. 14s. 7½d. (fn. 2) and it was returned, that there
was a court of record belonging to it, held every three
weeks, in which all actions, both real and personal,
might be tried and determined, without limitation of
any sum, the perquisites of the courts being the amerciaments of the bailiffs belonging to them and the liberties. The issues of the jurors, the fines of responsors, together with the court baron, with the waifs,
estrays, treasure trove, deodands, felons goods, &c.
amounting yearly as above, that the court was held
every three weeks, near the scite of the monastery;
that the jurisdiction of it extended to some ten whole
parishes, and part of an hundred parishes besides, and
into part of the city of Canterbury. That all actions
as well real as personal, might in it be tried and determined without limitation of any sum; and that the
court baron had been neglected of late.
The officers belonging to the court were,
The right hon. Sir Henry Vane the elder, highsteward, by grant from the committee of the late
king's revenue; his deputies, Thomas Twisden, esq.
and Nicholas Oliver, gent. The late keepers of the
game, within the said liberty, Sir Peter Heyman, and
Sir Henry Crispe; John Sharpe, chief bailiff of the
liberty and keeper of the prison, who substituted several under him; eight attornies, and a collector of
the hamlet rents. All which shew the consequence
and high estimation this court was then held in;
however it may since have been suffered to sink into
oblivion.