COURT BARON. A domestic court, inci dent to every manor, held by the steward within the manor, for redressing misdemean ors and nuisances therein, and for settling disputes among the tenants relating to prop erty. It is not a court of record. 1 Poll. & Matti. Hist. E. L. 580.
Coke (1st Inst. 58 a) speaks of the Court Baron as of two natures ; the first, by the common law, called a court baion, a freehold ers' court where they are the judges; the second, a customary court, in which the lord or his steward is the judge. Blackstone (3 Com. 33) says that, though in their nature distinct, they are frequently confounded to gether. Later writers doubt if there were two courts ; 1 Poll. & Maitl. Hist. E. L. 580.
Their jurisdiction was practically abolished by the County Courts Act, 30 and 31 Vict. c. 142, a. 28; 3 Steph. Cern, 279. In the state of New York such courts were held while the state was a province. See charters in Bolton's Hist. of New Chester. A deed of Wm. Penn to Letitia Penn for a manor in Pennsylvania granted the privilege of holding court baron; Myers, Immigration of Quakers 127. They
existed in Maryland ; Hail, The Lords Baltimore, etc. The court derived its name from the fact that it was the court of the baron or lord of the manor. S Bla. Com. 33, n.; see Fleta, lib. 2, c. 53; though it is explained by some as being the court of the freeholders, who were in some instancea called barons. Co. Litt. 58 a.
The lord's steward usually presided. From the 13th century he was a lawyer. All kinds of personal actions (where the cause of ac tion did not exceed 40 shillings in value) were tried there ; contracts, trespass, libel, slander, assault, etc. Both the common law and chancery courts. interfered to protect suitors if injustice were done. The jurisdic tion of the customary court declined and all that it was used for was copyhold convey ancing business ; 1 Poll. & Matti. 578.