Legal Definitions - wood-mote

A wood-mote was a historical, lower-level court within the system of English forest law, also known as a Court of Attachments. These courts were held frequently, typically every 40 days, within royal forests to address minor offenses, manage administrative matters, and record more serious infractions for review by higher forest courts. Their primary function was to "attach" or seize property related to offenses, or to record the names of offenders and the details of their transgressions, ensuring that forest laws were upheld and royal rights preserved.

• Example 1: Unauthorized Wood Collection
  Imagine a villager in medieval England, living near a royal forest, who was caught by a forest official gathering fallen branches for firewood without the required permission. This minor transgression against forest regulations would likely be brought before the local wood-mote. The court would hear the case, determine if an offense occurred, and might order the seizure of the collected wood or impose a small fine, demonstrating its role in enforcing everyday forest rules.

• Example 2: Straying Livestock
  Consider a farmer whose sheep or cattle accidentally wandered from their pasture into the adjacent royal forest, damaging undergrowth or consuming fodder reserved for the king's deer. This incident would be reported to the wood-mote. The court would investigate the trespass, potentially "attach" (seize) the livestock until a fine was paid, or record the details for a future session of a higher forest court, illustrating its function in managing property and minor infringements within the forest boundaries.

• Example 3: Reporting a Major Poaching Incident
  While a wood-mote primarily handled minor offenses, it also served as a crucial reporting mechanism for more serious crimes. If a forest official discovered evidence of a major poaching incident—such as a deer carcass or traps set for large game—the details of this felony, including any suspects identified, would be formally recorded at the next sitting of the wood-mote. This record would then be presented to a higher forest court, like the Swainmote or Justice Seat, for more severe judgment, showing how the wood-mote acted as an initial point of documentation for all forest-related legal matters.