Legal Definitions - catchpoll

A catchpoll was a historical term for a local law enforcement officer, often serving as a sheriff's deputy or a bailiff. Their responsibilities typically involved carrying out the orders of a court or a lord, such as serving legal documents, making arrests, or seizing property.

Here are some examples of how the term catchpoll would have applied:

• Imagine a dispute over land ownership in a 15th-century English village. When one party failed to appear in the manor court as summoned, the lord would dispatch a catchpoll to deliver a formal notice, compelling their attendance. This illustrates the catchpoll's role in serving legal documents and ensuring compliance with court proceedings, much like a modern process server or bailiff.

• Consider a situation in a medieval town where a merchant was accused of failing to pay a significant debt. After a judgment was rendered by the town's magistrate, a catchpoll would be tasked with apprehending the debtor or seizing their property to satisfy the outstanding amount. This demonstrates the catchpoll's authority to enforce court judgments, including making arrests or confiscating assets.

• During a bustling market day, if a minor disturbance or a petty theft occurred, the local catchpoll would be responsible for intervening to restore order and, if necessary, taking the offending individual into custody. This highlights the catchpoll's broader function in maintaining public peace and making arrests under the authority of the local governing body, akin to a sheriff's deputy.