Clifton Manor Court Leet – York tradition lives on

IN medieval England, large rural estates were owned or managed by the ‘Lord of the Manor’; the ‘Lord’ was not usually a ‘knight’, with the term ‘Manor’ referring to his estate.

These estates typically contained woodland, pasture, common footpaths, lakes and waterways; they would also include tenant farms and dwellings.

Churches with parishes would also feature, the parish boundaries often being disputed.

To manage these estates local rules and tenant responsibilities were imposed, but a method of checking compliance to these directives was required.

So annually the ‘Lord’ would summon a number of trusted residents of the estate to meet on an appointed day, then under oath of allegiance, they were tasked with inspecting various aspects of his estate.

Typically, waterways were checked for excessive bank overgrowths or objects impeding the flow; woodlands checked for illegal use, the ‘Lord’s’ estate rules maintained and that boundaries of farms and parishes were correctly marked. Reports of the inspections were required the same day, after which the residents were relieved of their duties. The day was concluded with a meal provided by the ‘Lord’ in recognition of their service.

The event became known as the ‘Manor Court Leet’.

Court Leet members gather at Clifton Green. Photo supplied

In the 18th and 19th century the growth of canals, railway systems and towns greatly impacted on estates as they all required land for expansion. The Local Government Act of 1888 and creation of national bodies like the Police (1829), Ordnance Survey (1842 maps defined footpaths and boundaries) and HM Land Registry (1868) all restricted the management of estates by the ‘Lord’.

Common footpaths became ‘rights of way’, rules became bye-laws and a tenant’s responsibilities became included in property deeds. The role and need for the Manor Court Leet became greatly diminished.

Country-wide, the number of courts remaining are few, their role redundant, overtaken by time and regulations.

Meeting of the Clifton Court Leet 2014. Photo supplied

An estate at Clifton is recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. It is known that the estate was given to the monks of St Mary’s Abbey in about 1088, the estate then included part of Galtres Forest and the hamlet of Rawcliffe.

The estate remained under the control of the monks until the demise of St Mary’s Abbey in 1539. The Manor House of the estate that used to exist at Rawcliffe is now remembered solely by local street names.

In 1606 the estate was acquired by the Robinson family, who owned it for over 300 years. The Robinson family were wealthy York merchants, one member, Sir William Robinson, built the Red House in Duncombe Place and became Lord Mayor in 1700-01.

The Red House on the corner of St Leonard’s Place and Duncombe Place around the 1910s in York. The Red House was home to Sir William Robinson. Photo from Explore York archive

In 1919 the estate was bought by York City Council, which technically became the ‘Lord of the Manor’; the days of Clifton Manor Court Leet was thought to be over.

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But in recent years some residents of Clifton, keen not to allow such an important local event be lost, have continued the act of holding an annual Court Leet.

The Court is convened every November with the Sheriff of York hosting the event, participants are duly sworn in before departing to Clifton and Rawcliffe to conduct inspections just as their fore-fathers would have done.

Rawcliffe Ings

Some of the ancient estate waterways (now becks) can still be seen, state of over-growth and discarded objects in the becks are reported to the Sheriff that evening.

The Clifton Manor Court Leet is concluded with a meal funded by the participants. The reports are not without consequence as they are forwarded by the City of York Council to the relevant authorities for their attention.

The authority of the Court Leet may have gone, but part of York’s ancient local history still survives.

Ivan Martin is the vice-president of the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS) and former city, Minster and Mansion House guide. He is also a former Clifton Manor Court Leet bye-law man.

YAYAS developed from its foundation in 1842. It publishes the York Historian and YAYAS Times, with articles and news items about York and its surroundings.

It is active with lectures and excursions and is always happy to welcome new members and suggestions for visits.

Its archives include photographic illustrations that can be used for research or reproduction with copyright acknowledgement.

Visit the website www.yayas.org.uk for more information about the organisation, its publications and how you can support it.