Middle English Dictionary Entry
lēte n.(2)
Entry Info
Forms | lēte n.(2) Also late, (late) lette. |
Etymology | AF lete & AL leta; ?from Gmc. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A kind of local court with power to investigate, try lesser offenses, levy fines, and sometimes legislate for its district; a court leet; also, a session of such a court; ~ general, gret ~, ?a meeting of the full court at its regularly appointed time; ~ special, ?a meeting of the court, or part of it, to deal with special matters; (b) the right to maintain a court leet, collect fines, etc.; (c) the territory under the jurisdiction of a court leet; a small administrative division having such a court; (d) ?the list of offenses presented to the court leet by a headborough, or chief of one of the subdivisions of the leet district; (e) ~ fe, a fee or tax collected in connection with a court leet; ~ plegge [AL or AF], the chief of a tithing, a headborough.
Associated quotations
a
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)131 : Also the leete [F la veue de fraunke plegge] be holdyn in the forseid toun of Geppiswich at alle dayes in the weke of Pentecost.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)11 : Amercyn yn a corte, or lete: Amercio.
- (1447) Shillingford14 : Hengston honged sore to have a lete and a grete courte, and y traversed hym ever, and seide to hym moche thynge.
- (1447-8) Shillingford91 : The saide Bisshop by his officers drawyth..yn his Court Baron plees of the Crowne and other plees and maters that longeth to a lete, where he hath no suche power ne jurisdiccion, and the amerciamentes..taketh to his awne use.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)25/11 : And alle þo þat in þe letys of here lordys lettyn..þat here tenauntys, for no somounyng, schal noȝt gon out of þe lordschip to appere afore here lawfull ordynarie.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)58/12 : Or in courtys & letys of here lordys lettyn..þat prelatys mowe noȝt lawfully correctyn here sugettys.
- (1462) Paston4.39 : I have ben at Wetyng and there hald the court and lete on Hokmonday as hit hath bene of olde tyme accostomed.
- (1468) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.7386 : An examinacion..holden atte the lete of Slipton.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.30-1 : Allso hit is ordenyd þat all maner men þat will sew here aftur remedy for to haue by ordynaunce of the lete generall or specyall, þat they mak hur bylles..iiij dayes be-fore euery lete.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.33 : Allso þat all good ordynaunce of the leetys be..wryton in a regestre.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.35 : To the reuerent and wurschipfull states that her byn, and to all wurthy men of this grett lete, be this bill Schewid and Rad.
- a1525(?1422) Cov.Leet Bk.43 : Hit is graunted now at this lette þat, for this yere, the Bochers schall slee Beefys, veell, and moton within thor own howsen.
b
- (1439) RParl.5.7a : That alle the Profites, Issues, Revenues, Customes and Commoditees, comyng or for to come, of alle the Castellis, Honnures, Maners, Lordschippes, Landis..Views of Francplegg', Hundred', Letis, Courtis, and alle other enheritaunces and possessions of the Duchie of Lancastre remaynyng in his hand.
- (1447-8) Shillingford91 : He hath no power to determine suche plees there, for he hath no late ne never hadde þer, but only longyth to the Cyte that have a late and ever have hadde.
- (1447-8) Shillingford115 : The seide Bysshoppis fro the tyme that noo mynde ys have hadde a Court yn theire seide fe, and lete and vyw de franke plegge.
- (1450) RParl.5.184a : Like it to youre Highnes to take, resume, seise and reteine into youre handes and possession, all maner Libertees, Privileges, Fraunchises, Hundredes, Wapentakes, Letes, Rapes, Vewe of Frankplege, Fynes, Amercimentes, Issues and profites of the same.
- (1464) RParl.5.523a : Landes, Tenementes, Annuiteez, Knyghtes fees, Advousons of Chirches, Vieu' of Francipleg', Courtes Letes, or any other thing in the seid Livres Patentes specified.
- (1470) RParl.in OHS 5864 : And that your seid besechers and their successours may have, hold, kepe, and enyoye..all the same Priorye, Maners, parsonages..and every parte of them what so ever to geder with all maner hundredes, letes, Courtes, wapentakes, Vewes of frankplegge, Maners, landys, tenementis, possessions, [etc.].
c
- (1425) RParl.4.306b : And that ye Justice of ye Peas, Stuardus of Letus and Hundredis, may have power to enquerre of suche misprisions and defautes of ye said Sherefs.
- (c1425) Doc.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.6228 : Sires, ȝe shal truli & duly enqueren of alle maner articlis þat longen to þe leete, & not spare for love nor hate, but truli presenten aftir ȝe han truli enquerid.
- (1464) RParl.5.563a : Every Styward kepyng or holdyng Wapentake of Lete of eny persone oute of Cite, Borough or Towne, where noo Mayer, Maister, Baillif or Baillifs, or Portreves bee or been, have auctorite and power by this Ordenaunce to here and determyn the compleyntes of every such Clothmaker and Laborer.
- (1477) Paston5.305 : Sche wol have it be the tytyl of the lete, and I have answerd..that che owte non to have be that tytil..I trow it to the lord of the soylle and not to the lete, for the maner holdyth nothyng of hyr.
- ?a1509 Doc.Melton in Bk.Brome (Brm)161 : Ȝe schall enquere ȝef all yo yt haue dwelyd withthin ye preseint of this lete twelmonth and a day.
d
- (c1425) Doc.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.6229 : Syrs, ȝe shal duweli leie þis lete þat þe heedborwis han presentid and truli upon ȝoure discreciouns affeeren it aftir her presentement.
e
- (c1273) Cust.Rent in OSSLH 2162 : vj s. iiij d. quos dominus Rex Henricus pater Regis qui nunc est habere consuevit et debuit ad istud hundredum per annum de quodam servicio quod vocatur Letefe.
- (1388) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)5.129 : [A fee called] letefee [is worth 10 s. 1/2 d. certain yearly].
- (c1425) Doc.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.6228 : Sacramentum capitalis plegg (Lete Plegg).
- (c1461) Doc.Manor in MP 3458 : Et ballius hundredi pro letefe iiij d.