Legal Definitions - laughe

The term laughe refers to a historical system in medieval England, more commonly known as frankpledge. This system was a form of collective responsibility where groups of free men were held mutually accountable for the good conduct of their members and for maintaining peace and order within their community.

Typically, ten free men would form a group called a "tithing" (which could also be referred to as a "laughe" or "decennary"). If one member of this group committed a crime, the other nine members were legally obligated to ensure his appearance in court. If they failed to produce the accused individual, the entire group could face collective fines or other penalties. The frankpledge system was a crucial mechanism for law enforcement in a time before centralized police forces, encouraging community members to monitor each other and prevent wrongdoing.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of laughe/frankpledge:

• Example 1: The Case of the Missing Tools
  In a 12th-century English village, a group of ten farmers constituted a "laughe." When a set of valuable farming tools went missing from the local blacksmith's shop, suspicion fell upon one member of the laughe, a man named John. Under the frankpledge system, the other nine members of John's laughe were legally bound to either bring John forward to face the accusation in the manor court or pay a collective fine to compensate the blacksmith. This forced the group to actively participate in justice, either by compelling John to appear or by bearing the financial burden of his suspected crime.

• Example 2: Preventing a Poaching Incident
  Imagine a "laughe" in a medieval forest community where hunting was strictly regulated. If one member of the laughe, known for his rebellious streak, began openly discussing plans to poach deer from the lord's forest, the other nine members had a strong incentive to intervene. Knowing that their entire group would be fined or punished if their peer was caught, they might collectively confront him, report his intentions to the local reeve, or even physically prevent him from carrying out the act. This demonstrates how the system encouraged proactive prevention of crime through mutual oversight.

• Example 3: Accountability for Public Order
  Consider a market town where each "laughe" was responsible for the general good behavior of its members during public gatherings. If a brawl broke out in the marketplace and one of the instigators was identified as a member of a particular laughe, the entire group would be held accountable for his actions. They would be expected to produce him for punishment and might face a collective penalty for the disruption of public peace. This illustrates how the laughe system extended beyond just serious crimes to encompass broader aspects of maintaining public order and community standards.