Primitive Folk Moots Or Open Air Assemblies in Britain
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PRIMITIVE FOLK-MOOTS ; OR, OPEN-AIR ASSEMBLIES IN BRITAIN. GEORGE LAURENCE GOMME, F.S.A., HONOR4RY SECRETARY TO THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY ; AUTHOR OR "INDEX OF DlUNICIPAL OFFICES.'' LONDON : SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN EUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. 1880. 1'0 WILLIAM JOHN THOMS, ESQ., F.S.A., TIIE FOUNDER 01- "NOTES AND QUERIES," AND TIII': TOII.ER AT MANY GOOD TI'ORKS, LONDON : F~~INTEDnv \\~~Ll.li\nlcLOWES AND SONS, LIIIITED, ST,U,~POR~) STREET AND CHARlNG CROSS. &bis Book is Bcbicatcb BY TIIE AUTIIOR, IN SlNCllRE ADMIRATION OF A LlThRARY LIFE, WIIlClI INSI'IRES IN ALI. 'THE DEEPEST FEELINGS OP RESI'ECT AND ESTEEM. PREFACE. a work is laid beforc the public, the author should bc quite satisfied of its ~aisoad:tvc: he should know exactly upon which shelf and by the side of what existing works in the national library it ought to be placed ; he should, in fact, be always sure of the gap in literature that he proposes to fill up. Of course, he may not cvcntually be able to fill it up worthily, but thc student will not be altogether un- thankful or unappreciative if thc dcsideratum be fairly attained. Speaking now of the present work, I would point out that chronologically it holds a place prior to any existing works on English Constitutional History, becausc it treats of a period of history prior to any that has been yet undcrtaken. Mr. Kemble and Mr. Freeman go far enough back to be enabled to look upon the borderland of my subject ; but, then, in .o doing, the one steps on to Swiss ground, and thc othcr on to German. Canon Stubbs commences his great work at a pcriod when all l~rimitiveinstitutions were devcloping into historical institutions. Mr. Coote 1)asses over the primitive pcriod by one magnificent bridge of Roman civilization. I can only hopc, thcrc- fore, that thc pridc of place which the subject is vi P?~efnce. P~rfnce. vii - .. -- entitled to may not be materially damaged by my come upon during a long period of research. And if, treatment of it. with these fragments of antiquity, I have endcavoured I am quite aware that, according to thc highest to build a fabric which, as I submit, gives us an im- canons of historical writing, this book posscsscs many portant picture of primitive times ; if my argument drawbaclts. The author of any morli dealing with tllroughout is that these open-air assemblies arc sur- archzeological moilumcilts should doubtless havc visited vivals of primitive open-air assemblies, I air1 depcndcnt and examined for himself cach object, or at all events for proofs of this argument upon the cvidcncc givcn a majority of objects-a reprcscntativc majority. Rut by the collectcd cxamplcs as they stand in English I cannot profess to havc doi~cthis in rcspcct of any history or tradition at this present day, instead of the of the grcat archzeological remains that I venturc more strictly scientific data afforded by an archxo- to trcat of. My sourccs of kno~vlcdgcarc entirely logical arrangement of the primitive features only of literary; that is to say, I am dcpcndcnt for the dc- each example. scriptions of the places ~nelltionedupon thc published If, thcrcforc, my conclusions be not so scic~ltifically accounts scattered tllroughout English literature, or arranged as they might bc, Ict me plcad my adhcrencc upon the accounts kindly f~~rnishedby fricnds. My to the necessity of placing on record, very clcarly, thc work is therefore in this respect an historical com- facts by which thc sLtbjcct may hcrcaftcr bc more fully pilation mercly. worked up, and which, inorc than anything else, arc Again, whcn an historical subjcct is trcatcd for thc essential to a first study. first time, I hold it to be superlatively necessary to And if the use to ~vl~ichI havc ventui-cd to put inalte the record of the facts as clear as possiblc ; not these fragments of olden timcs bc not acceptable to to destroy thc completeness of any itcin of fact for the purely antiquarian scholar, let him remember that thc purpose of making it fit in 1vit11 ally l~istorical thc fragments tl~cmsclvcsarc quitc visible to him, and theory. are uninjured. Now, from the long series of installccs of open-air Thus, therefore, I trust that thc st~tdcntof primitivc assemblies in Britain, I havc built up an historical V culture and the antiquary may botli be able to sce theory concerning the Primitive Folk-moots of Britain. some merit in my work as a useful contribution of This theory is based, I belicvc, upon the strongcst materials rightly and scicntifically placed for future possible foundation ; it is an illduction drawn from a USE. very wide circlc of facts. But in evcry instancc I havc I find that a few typographical crrors have crept sought to keep iny facts as cotnplctc as possible- into the test, wl~ichI have notcd in n table of errata : topographically, historically, and politically. My firsf perhaps in mitigation, not in cxcusc, of this care has not bcen the proof of my historical induction, default, I may plead that my work has bccn doac but the collection of all thc known or possiblc instance5 after the busy day of official life is over. of the open-air assembly in Great Britain which I could I must ackno~vlcdgewith sincere gratitude thc grcat .. vlll Pffefnce. -- assistance I have had from inany bind friends, which I have always acknowledged in the text of the book. But I must be invidious enough to specially allude to Dr. Alexander Laing, Mr. Jamcs Hardy of Oldcambus, Mr. John Fenton, and Tdr. T. Fairinan Ordish, who havc assisted mc by something more tha11 the ordinary means of literary assistance. Mr Edward Peacock, CONTENTS. F.S.A., has also sent me many useful references, which I have not bcen ablc to acliilowlcdgc in the test. I must also bc permitted to express my obli- gations to the editors of thc At/zszauvt and Notes CHAPTER I. ad Quevies, for their kindness in publishing my INTRODUCTION. wants from time to timc. And, lastly, to one kind Present State of Early English History-Primitive Institu- PAGE and learned antiquary I owe so much, that I have tions still traceable from Indigenous Sources-The ventured to still further increase the debt by placing Place occupied by the Folk-moot-General Character- istics of the Prinlitive Assembly-Its Development in his name on my book in a somewhat morc prominent English History-The I'articular Value of the Evidence ,position than at the end of thc preface. of Open-air Meetings-Their Connection with other Primitive Features-The Arrangement of the Exanlples to be investigated . 11 EXAMPLESFROM OTHER LANDS. Necessity of obtaining non-British Evidence of the Open- air Meetings-Front Afoderrz Snvnge Lz;fe: Iroquois, Araucanians, African Tribes, Negritto Races-The Great Nations of Antig~~ity: Hebrews, Hindoos-Ear& Euro- pean Hzstory : Northern Nations, Iceland, Denmarl;, Saxony, Germany, France-Summary . 20 CHAPTER 111. THE EVIDENCEOF EARLYENGLISH RECOI~DS. Historical Value of this Evidence-Evidence of I'opular Gatherings - Beda - Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - Mr. Kemble's Examples-Council on the Banks of the Iiiver Nodder-On the Banks of the Nidd-On the Humber- PAGE Other Meetings-King Edgar's Charter to Ely-Welsh Esamples-Cuckamsley Hill-Bridge at Grantebrucge CHAPTER VII. -1nfra cimitcriuin Eliensis-On the Tyne 49 TRADITIUXAL AND PHILOLOGICALEVIDENCE. I'AGE CHAPTER IV. Historical Value of this Evidence-Allusions in Old VCTritcrs -In Folk-tales-Kingston-Shire-j~zoot : Shire Oalcs, THE REVIVALOF THE PRI~II'I'IVEFORM. ~ottinghamshire,Staffordshire, Shyracli, Sheriff Muir, Historical Value of the Revival-Evidencc of the &tionad Shire Stones, ctc., Town Names-Hundred-moots- Ass~n~blyrevivit/,rr its old Open-air Meetings : Mr. General Value of the Evidence of Open-air Shire and Freeman's Examples, Runymcde- The Locczd Assemb&: Hundred Moots-Some Circles of Stones-Moot Bar- Pennendcn Heath, Shire-moot of Berlts, Mendip- rows-Moot-Hills-Hill of Banners-Place Naines con- Suinlnary . - 69 nected with Moot-Hills-I'lace Names connected with Tingwalls-Courts of liidings--Hustings Court-Field CHAPTER V. Names-Trees . 19s :Sources of Evidence-Historical Value of the Survivnl- CHAPTER VIII. Tynwald, Isle of Man-Its Initial Importance-Gorsed- EVIDENCE OF PLACENAMES AND TRADITIONSIN dau of Wales-The Nrrt~d?~dCo~rrts : Of Norfolk, Stone SCOTLAND. in Somersetshire, Alwiclte ancl Younsincre in Susses, Olcl Traditional Rhymes-Some Circles of Stones-Moot- Swanl~oroughin Wilts, of Warwickshire-Liberty of Hills Law-Hills - Court-Hills-Gallows-Hills-Other Tynedale-Mnnoriczb Courts : Their Prinlitive Origin- - Aston and Cote, Somerton, I'amber, Rochford, Dunstone, Names , . 260 Guernsey, Warnham, Morehall, Combebank, Langsett, Stoneleigh, Kingsborough, ancl others-Forest Co~frts: CHAPTER IX. Heslteth in Cumberland, Belbroughton in Worcester- SOMEFURTHER EVIDENCE. shire, Charnwood, I<naresborough-Court of Foresters The Jln& of Suntntotzs : the Axe and the Arrow ; the Cross ; at Os~valdslow-Mayfield Manor-Court of Dens in the Wardstaff of the Ongar Hundred ; the Dumb Uors- Kent-iVitriilz~r Corrrts : Stannary Courts of Cornwall, holder of Chart-Oficers ofthe Pritlzitive Cozrrt: Burlie- Mining Courts of Dean, Derbyshire Barinote-The mcn, Radmen, Stallere-Conclusion , Court of Shepway-Mziizicz$nZ Bororrghs : High Wy- . 37s combe, Lostwithiel, Bishop's Castle, Hastings, Lichfield, Southampton, Folkestone, Dover, London . 87 CHAPTI32 VI. Orkney and Shetland-Scone-Barony of Langforgrund- Strathernc - Crieff - Liston - Torbolton -Dunning- Ellon - Hawick - Badenach - Cupar - Conan-Aber- deen- Cl~iny-Birlaw Court . 160 I'RIMITIVE FOLK-MOOTS. CHAPTER I. ERRATA. Present State of Early Englis!l History-Primitive Institutions Page g, l:ne 32, for I.avela>,eV read " Laveleye." still traceable from I~idigenousSources-The Place occupied 66, line 29, /or " Skene's " read " Innes's." ,, by the Folk-moot-General Characteristics of the Priillitive ,, 82, line 10, and page 83, line 7, for "Doomsday" read '' Domesday." ,, 97, line 30, fov " Landesgemeind" ?,eacZ " Landesgemeinde." Assembly -Its Developlllent ill English History-The Par- ,, zrg, the derivation of Rlalmsbury from AlnlZ~rnrBerg is, nnfoltunately, not ticular V~lueof the Evidence of Open-air Meetings-Their correct.