COURT BARON, an English manorial court dating from the middle ages. According to Maitland it means curia baronis, "la court de seigneur," and there is no evidence for there being more than one court. His conclusion is that the "court baron" was not even differentiated from the "court-leet" (q.v.) at the close of the 13th century, but that there was a distinction of jurisdictional rights, some courts having only feudal rights, while others had regalities as well. When the court-leet was differentiated the court baron remained with feudal rights alone. These rights he was disposed to trace to a lord's jurisdiction over his men rather than to his possession of the manor, although in practice, from an early date, the court was associated with the manor. Its chief business was to administer the "custom of the manor" and to admit fresh tenants who had acquired copyholds by inheritance or purchase, and had to pay, on so doing, a "fine" to the lord of the manor. It is mainly for the latter purpose that the court was kept. The steward of the manor, a lawyer, usually presided, and the pro ceedings were recorded on "the court rolls." See Select Pleas in Manorial and other Seignorial Courts, vol. i., and The Court Baron (Selden Society) . (J. H. R.)