Sub-series MA 475-500. - Chirbury court baron papers

The court baron papers comprise files of documents connected with the various administrative and legal processes of the court baron from time to time e.g. declarations, pleadings, issues of pleas, jury panels, with occasional bonds, mainprises, and bills of costs; also divers writs or precepts (replevin, levari facias, distringas, etc.). The series range in date from 1597 to 1795. The extant files for the reign of Elizabeth and James I are mixed i.e. they include both declarations, etc., and precepts; those temp. Charles I were found to be very incomplete and much scattered, and consequently have been reassembled into small regnal year files according to category of document, 'D' or 'P'. From about 1648 to 1659 precepts and declarations appear to have been carefully filed separately, and the original files seem to be tolerably complete. There is a big gap in the series between 1661 and 1772, and the insignificant size of the few representative files for the early decades of the eighteenth century suggests a considerable decline in the activities of the court. Declarations, etc. (mixed): 40 Eliz.-21 Jas I: 1597-1603, 1603-1605, 1605-1606, 1607-1609, 1610-1612, 1613-1621, 1614-1620, 1616-1618, 1619-1623, 1622-1623 (precepts), 1623-1624 (precepts). Court baron papers, 1-21 Charles I [years 1, 2, 5, 20 missing]: declarations etc., 1-21 Chas I (arranged in regnal year files); precepts 3-21 Chas I (arranged in regnal year files). Court baron papers, 1646-1795: precepts 1648-1650; precepts 1651-1654; precepts 1655-1657; precepts 1657-1659; declarations (mixed) 1646-1650; declarations (mixed) 1647-1653; declarations (mixed) 1654-1656; declarations (mixed) 1723-1726; declarations (mixed) 1737-1739; declarations (mixed) 1741-1759; declarations (mixed) 1783-1795. [Only a few scattered survivals ranging between these dates.]. MA 485, listed in the old schedule is now (April 2007) not found.