THE ANCIENT tradition of the Court Leet and Court Baron is alive and well following the annual Law Day.
Court members gathered to look back over the year and appoint her officers.
Portreeve Allan Vizor asked the Borough Crier, Eveline Davies to present a cheque for £628.60 to Rowcroft Hospice.
The Lawday started with the command ‘All Rise’ and the Borough Crier announcing the start of the meetings.
This was followed by the reading of the borough prayer by Sue Joyce and the acting marshal calling for the View of Frankpledge in right of sovereign lord King Charles III and Keith Stokes-Smith, the Lord of the Borough.
The steward reminded all present that the officers, jurors, burgesses and freeholders will be called by the Bailiff and they must reply ‘Here Master Bailiff’.
The Lord gave his welcoming address to members and guests and to the chairman of Newton Abbot Town Council, Cllr David and MP Anne Marie Morris.
He then requested reports be given by officers on events and ceremonies.
Reports were given by the Portreeve, on St. Leonards Fair, the bread weigher on her pie-eying and bread
weighing, the searcher and amp; sealer of leather, on his ceremony, the Portreeve, on his Supper, the Hayward, on Beating the Bounds, the ale-taster, on her ceremony, the viewers of watercourses, on their ceremony, the crier, on competitions attended, thetreasurer, on the state of the court fund and the steward on courts baron held over the year.
The honour of Burgess was bestowed on the Ale Taster, Carol Bunday and Janet Parrot MBE in recognition of their many years’ service to the Courts, including as Portreeve.
The Deputy Steward continued with swearing in the Leet and Baron jury.
The junior officers were invited to take the oath, sign the register, and pay the fee of three sovereigns, payable in coin of the realm. This was repeated for senior officers but they paid six guineas.
Bailiff Mike Hocking was sworn in but he had to pay fifteen guineas.
The final person to swear in was the Portreeve Allan Vizor who had to pay the fee of 30 guineas.
This is his second time as The Portreeve and he thanked everyone for this honour and stated his charity was Rowcroft Hospice.