Manor Courts

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The lord of the manor had the right to hold a court for his local tenants to facilitate management of the manor as a social and economic unit. From the beginning of the manorial system in the 11th century the manor courts conducted a variety of business. This was recorded on the court roll and by the 13th century it is evident that two main types of court are being recorded. The court baron, or ‘curia baronis’, was held every three weeks and handled the general business of the manor. This would involve issues relating to land tenure and use and enforce the payment of all dues and performance of services owed by the tenants to the lord. It also had other powers giving it jurisdiction over disputes between individuals and over personal actions by tenants, such as the recovery of small debts and complaints of trespass.

The court leet, or ‘curia leta’, was held every six months and inspected the working of the frankpledge, a system of mutual responsibility within a group of about ten households for the maintenance of law and order. This was often called the ‘view of frankpledge’. It also had powers to deal with offences such as common nuisances, affrays and the breaking of assize of bread and ale, (this regulated the price, weight and quantity of bread and beer sold). This court could fine and imprison offenders, in many manors in Northumberland the right went beyond imprisonment. The Barony of Langley was one of the lesser Baronies of Northumberland in which the Tindale family were enfeoffed, required to pledge service in exchange for land, by Henry I. They enjoyed an ancient liberty where they were able to try thieves in the Leet Court and then hang them on their own gallows.

The Barony of Embleton, via a succession of powerful Lords, had very extensive privileges. The incumbent Edmund Earl of Lancaster claimed, in 1292, the right to decide in his court pleas similar to those tried before the sheriff. He had a prison at Embleton and gallows at Newton, Embleton, Dunstan and Craster.

Woodhorn also seems to have had a licence for gallows in 1294, as well as Ovingham where in 1294 the Umfraville lordship claimed the right to pit and gallows, tumbrel, pillory and toll. Tynemouth also had the right to prison, gallows, tumbrel, and pillory and Bewick near Tynemouth a tumbrel and gallows.

Other types of court, which were held less frequently within the manor, included the court of survey and recognition, the court of pannage, the court of pie powder and the woodmote or forest court.

The business of the court was submitted via the presentments; this was done by the jury who were required to state or present the various matters which were dealt with by the court. The actual procedure for making presentments is not entirely clear and it is possible they were prepared several days in advance of the court session. The enclosed image is a presentment from the manor of Melkridge in Northumberland, dating from 1700, it gives a flavour of the type of court business being dealt with by the court baron.

ZBL 2/13/21
ZBL 2/13/21

[click to enlarge]

The jury are to enquire for and on behalf of the lord of the manor whether:

  • Elizabeth Robson wife of Thomas Robson died forfeit of and in a tenement called Lowhouse and to establish who and how old the heir is.
  • we present William Kettlewell for speaking scandalous words to Anne Ridley. vi d
  • we present Robert Garlick for tethering his horse in William Greens meadow. vi d
  • we present John Smith of Whitchester for steeling [?] the wood of his customary tenants in Whitchester and is therefore amerced (fined) vi d
  • we present Ridley Haverlock and John Smith for suffering the hedges of their ground to lie down whereby the cattle can damage other men’s grounds. iii s  iiii d

 

 

ZBL 2/13/21
ZBL 2/13/21

[click to enlarge]

  • we present John Rea for not repairing a gate towards the high shoot and is therefore amerced. iiis iiiid
  • we present Thomas Smith for taking away hay. vi d
  • we present Richard Thompson for entertaining a thief in his house and knowing him to be so. iiis iiiid
  • we present Richard Thompson for interfering with a well and not having a passage to it for the neighbourhood amerced. iiis iiiid

The presentment is signed by the jurors, note with the exception of John Smith, who can write his own name, most make their mark which in themselves are quite interesting as they have obviously been designed to be as unique as possible. A number of the jurors appear to be related to those on the presentment, or in the case of Ridley Havelock, seem to appear themselves.

Surgical Procedures – Artificial Pneumothorax

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Pulmonary tuberculosis is by far the most common manifestation of TB witnessed throughout the Stannington records.  Prior to the development and use of any effective antibiotic treatments the most common form of intervention was the induction of an artificial pneumothorax.  Many of the different treatments employed to treat TB of all types at this time were based on the principles of resting and isolating the affected area, and the thinking behind artificial pneumothorax treatment was no different.

 

A needle would be inserted through the chest wall to allow for the insertion of air into the pleural cavity.  The amount of air inserted would depend on the size of the patient as well as how much the physician in charge though the patient could realistically manage in one go and how quickly they wished the lung to collapse.  Once inserted the pressure from the air would force the lung to collapse in on itself and to cease functioning properly.  The entire lung would not necessarily be collapsed at once, either because it wasn’t necessary for treatment or because fibrotic adhesions between the lung and the chest wall as a result of the disease prevented it from doing so.  Where only part of the lung was affected it would not be desirable to collapse the whole lung and in such instances just one lobe might be collapse.  Bilateral artificial pneumothorax was also a possibility, whereby part of both lungs would be collapsed at the same time.  A state of collapse could be maintained for a period of months or even years and required the patient to undergo regular refills of air in order to do so.

 

A great number of radiographic illustrations of the progression of a collapse are available in the Stannington collection.  One patient, 2/1946, has a large amount of radiographs taken over a period of two years which demonstrate the change in the lung from admission and through the progressive stages of lung collapse.

 

Patient 2/1946 was female an age15 when she was admitted to Stannington on 21 June 1945 with pulmonary TB stage 3, at which point her sputum tested positive for TB also.  A report on an x-ray taken pre-admission reads:

‘Right lung shows several active foci beginning to coalesce.  There is extensive infiltration in the upper zone & suspicious blotchy areas in the middle zone.  A small calcified opacity in the right lower zone.  The left lung shows infiltration in the middle zone.  The upper zone and apex are clear.  Early active foci are noticeable in both lungs in the affected areas.’

Figure 1 was the first x-ray taken after admission on 25 June 1945 being three weeks later than the one reported above.  Observations on this x-ray note:

‘Scattered foci in right upper zone.  One definite cavity.  Increased bronchial marking at both bases.’

HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_22 25 June 1945
Figure 1 – HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_22
25 June 1945
HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_18 31 Aug 1945
Figure 2 – HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_18
31 Aug 1945

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was quickly decided that and artificial pneumothorax should be induced on the right side and this took place on 16 Aug 1945. Figure 2 taken later on that month shows the initial results of the artificial pneumothorax.  The black area along the lateral side of the right lung is evidence of the air that has been inserted and the lung has begun to compress.

 

The collapse was maintained well into 1947 which involved her having refills of air every two weeks throughout this period.  For the first three months she received refills of 200-300ccs of air at a time, progressing to 400ccs the month after, and then eventually 500-600ccs at a time.  Figures 3-6 show the progression of the artificial pneumothorax as more air is inserted and the lung collapses further.  Over time we can see that the cavity in the right mid zone collapses and closes, one of the main aims of the treatment.  In early June 1946 a procedure was performed to divide adhesions between the lung and the chest wall which allowed the collapse to progress further.  She was discharged in June 1947 with her condition described as improved.

 

Figure 3 - HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_23 17 Jan 1946
Figure 3 – HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_23
17 Jan 1946
Figure 4 - HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_09 18 June 1946
Figure 4 – HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_09
18 June 1946

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 5 - HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_10 2 Sept 1946
Figure 5 – HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_10
2 Sept 1946
Figure 6 - HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_27 15 April 1947
Figure 6 – HOSP/STAN/7/1/2/1057_27
15 April 1947

 

 

 

Genitourinary TB – Part 1

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Genitourinary TB is the most common form of extra-pulmonary TB today, although the proportion of children in Stannington suffering from this form of TB is relatively low.  Symptoms can include fever, increased urination, and blood in the urine.  In children it is most commonly found either amongst young infants or not until a child reaches puberty and is also a leading cause of congenital TB in new-born babies.

 

Patient 116/1947 was a 13 year old boy, admitted to the sanatorium on 23 September 1947, and diagnosed with genitourinary tuberculosis.  He had been suffering from a range of medical problems for the past three years, having had a perinephric and a subnephric abscess in December 1944, which was treated with penicillin, and in July 1945 he had a right nephrectomy where the kidney that was removed was found to be tuberculous.  Three months later in October 1945 he returned to the hospital with a right sided epididymitis and again in January 1946 reporting a history of a right sided scrotal abscess which had discharged and healed leaving some thickening at which point haematuria was noted.  He was admitted to hospital again in September 1946 in connection with the right sided epididymitis.

 

As early as February 1946 it was recommended that he be admitted to a sanatorium and correspondence between the local authorities and Stannington Sanatorium shows that the Administrative Officer of Cumberland County Council was persistent in his attempts to have the boy admitted only to be told by the sanatorium’s Medical Superintendent that there were currently no beds and they were waiting for a suitable side ward to accommodate him.  On his eventual admission he complained of a dull aching pain on the left side of his abdomen, had recently complained of pain on micturition (urination), and was also urinating very frequently, particularly at night.  There was no blood or albumen in the urine at this point, no tenderness felt on the left side of the abdomen, and a small hard nodule about the size of pea was seen in the left epididymis.  His general condition throughout his stay was deemed to be good and chest x-rays were clear of any signs of tuberculosis.

 

It was decided that given his strong symptoms further investigations of the renal tract were necessary for which he would have to be sent to the RVI in Newcastle as the Sanatorium did not have the required facilities.  Described in his notes as “a perfect nuisance on the ward”, it was decided that he should be sent home to wait for a bed at the RVI.  He was discharged on 19 December 1947.

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