Legal Definitions - Court of Attachments

A Court of Attachments was a historical, lower-level court specifically established to manage and enforce rules within the royal forests of England. Its primary role was to address minor offenses and infringements committed within these protected lands. The court, also sometimes known as a "wood-mote" or "forty-days court," was presided over by officials called verderers, who met regularly (typically every 40 days) to hear accusations brought by royal foresters. These accusations often involved smaller trespasses or unauthorized activities that did not warrant the attention of higher courts, which handled more serious forest crimes.

Here are some examples of situations where a Court of Attachments would have been relevant:

• Unauthorized Wood Gathering: Imagine a villager, desperate for fuel during a harsh winter, is caught by a royal forester gathering a cartload of fallen branches and deadwood from within the royal forest without proper permission. This act, while a trespass against the forest's resources, would likely be considered a minor offense. The forester would bring charges before the verderers at the next Court of Attachments, where the villager would face a fine or other minor penalty, rather than a severe punishment reserved for major crimes like poaching royal deer.

  This illustrates the term because it involves a minor trespass against the royal forest's resources, discovered by a forester, and suitable for the jurisdiction of a lower forest court focused on routine infringements.

• Encroachment by Livestock: A local farmer, whose fields bordered the royal forest, allowed their sheep to graze too close to the boundary, resulting in the flock wandering a short distance into the protected woodland. A royal forester discovers the sheep and reports the farmer. This type of unauthorized use of royal land for grazing, causing minimal damage, would be heard by the Court of Attachments.

  This illustrates the term because it represents a minor infringement on the royal forest's boundaries and property rights, a common type of "trespass" that the verderers would routinely address in their regular court sessions.

• Minor Poaching Attempt: A young man is found by a forester setting a small, homemade snare for rabbits within the royal forest's undergrowth. He hasn't caught anything yet, and his intent appears to be for personal sustenance rather than large-scale commercial poaching. While poaching is a serious offense, this specific, small-scale attempt might be deemed a lesser trespass. The forester would present the case to the Court of Attachments for the verderers to decide on an appropriate, less severe punishment than what would be meted out for hunting a royal stag.

  This illustrates the term because it shows how the court handled smaller, less severe violations of forest law, distinguishing them from major crimes that would be escalated to higher judicial authorities.