Oyez, Oyez! Join us as we look at the legal system that the people at Agecroft Hall would have encountered.  The English court system has many similarities to the one we are familiar with in the US. But, there are some important differences.  Changes in the Early Modern period in England affected the old system of laws.   

​

Learn about the many aspects of the legal system during the Tudor and Stuart era.  The posts below will cover the basics of the courts as well as the the different crimes seen by the various types of courts. The court that people were called to was based on the type of crime committed or witnessed, while factoring in both geographic location and social status. 

With this information on the structure of the courts, other posts study some of the more famous cases that took place during this time.  What do these cases tell us about the political and cultural climate of the time? What took place at the courts and the cases around Agecroft Hall?  As an important manor, Agecroft would have hosted trials, and the staff may have even participated in the proceedings. Lancashire was also the center of one of England’s biggest witch trials - so find out more below!