Cambridge Studies in English Legal History: An Introduction to the History and Records of the Courts of Wards and Liveries

Originally published in 1953, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the Court of Wards and Liveries. The court was established on 1540 as a means of administering the system of feudal dues, it was additionally responsible for wardship and livery issues. Formally abolished in 1660, the court had previously ceased to have a function due to the abolition of feudal tenures by the Long Parliament in 1646. Consummately researched, the text was compiled by the author during a period of employment by the Public Record Office, this allowed for extensive access to the Court's records and other important documentation.

Preface; Abbreviations used in the footnotes; 1. Wardship and livery in the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII; 2. The officers of the court; 3. The revenues of the court; 4. The administration of livery and wardship; 5. Judicial business of the court; 6. The welfare of wards and idiots; 7. The agitation against the court; 8. The final days of the court; 9. The site and buildings of the court; 10. The records of the court after its abolition; Appendices; Index; Tables.