The Manor

A manor was an area of land under the authority of the Lord or Lady of the Manor. A manor differed from an estate in that it had the right to hold manorial courts. 

Manorial records were created at these courts and form an important historical resource. Some manorial records pre-date parish registers – the oldest Northumberland manorial record in the care of Northumberland Archives is dated 1278 and is for Black Callerton. 

The records tell stories of the community and the people that lived in the manor. Land transfer was recorded in court records and the courts heard cases of manorial tenants breaking the customs (laws) of the Manor, including cases of anti-social behaviour. The manor courts were involved in cases that would now be dealt with by the jurisdiction of trading standards (mis-selling of goods, etc.) and planning (encroachments, etc.)