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Commons Pleas

This also is one of the king's courts. It is now constantly held in Westminster hall, one of its judges however goes, after term, to the city of London to try nisi prius causes. In ancient times this court was moveable, as appears by magna charta, chap. 11th. Its jurisdiction is general, and extends itself throughout England: it holds pleas of all civil causes at common law, between subject and subject, in actions, real, personal and mixed; and it seems to have been the only court for real causes. In personal and mixed actions it bath a concurrent jurisdiction with the king's bench; but it hath no cognizance of pleas of the crown. It does not possess any original jurisdiction; nor has it, like the court of king's bench, any mode of proceeding in common cases peculiar to itself.

In this court are four judges, created by letters patent: the seal of the court is committed to the custody of the chief justice. The other officers of this court are, the custos brevium, three prothonotaries and their secondaries, the clerk of the warrants, clerk or the essoines, fourteen filazers, four exigenters, a clerk of the juries, the chirographer, clerk of the king's silver, the clerk of the treasury, clerk of the seal, of outlawries and the clerk of the enrolment of fines and recoveries, clerk of the errors, &c. To these officers may be added, a proclamator, a keeper of the court, crier, and tipstaffs, besides the warden of the Fleet.

Related pages:

Introduction

Lord Chancellor's Court

Vice-Chancellor's Court

Rolls

Exchequer's

King's Bench

Exchequer Chamber

Courts of Requests

Court of Admiralty

Doctors' Common

Insolvent Debtors' Court

Law Proceedings

Mode of making a Judge

Old Bailey Sessions

Inns of Court

The Temple, Inner, Middle

Lincoln's Inn

Gray's Inn

The Inns of Chancery

Source: Leigh's New Picture of London. Printed for Samuel Leigh, 18, Strand;
by W. Clowes, Northumberland Court. 1819