You Be the Judge! A Market Court Case from the Agecroft Archives

From the files of Agecroft Hall, we come across a court case that fits particularly well into this month’s theme. We have filled out the case a bit, since the information is scant. And frustratingly, we don’t know what the verdict for this case was! Since there are few details, let’s see if we can figure out how this case might have gone.

In the early 1600s, a man named George Tippinge was charged with regrating. Witnesses claimed that he purchased cheese at the Eccels market, and then took that cheese to the Prestwich market, which was less than ten miles away. He then sold that cheese for a halfpence more per pound at the Prestwich market. If you were George Tippinge, how would you defend yourself in court?

In our Court Leet program, Mistress Dauntesey gives testimony against Tippinge. We are not sure if she did in fact show up in court against him. But assuming she did, why would Mistress Dauntesey report Tippinge to the court? How might his crime affect her and her family, and Agecroft manor?

If you are interested in court cases, English law in the 16th and 17th century will be the theme for our next virtual Education Day scheduled for September!

Clara Peters, Still Life with Cheese

Agecroft Court Leet files