Barons Courts Making Legal History at The Prestoungrange Gothenburg

Barons Courts in Scotland will lose their criminal and civil jurisdictions on November 28th 2004. No longer will Barons have the authority to place miscreants in the stocks for up to 3 hours during daylight; or to levy fines of up to 40/-.

But until that date they can! And what's more the Barons Courts of Prestoungrange and Dolphinstoun have every intention of holding their Final Trinity Sessions in style. Witchcraft is on the listings and so too is the continuing work of the Barons Courts from November 29th 2004 as a Scottish Charity making use of all the remaining dignity feudal and otherwise of the Baronage of Scotland, being a noble estait.

The next sittings, the first for over a century anywhere in Scotland, are already scheduled on July 13th and 27th - both commencing at 12 noon at the Caput of the Baronies being The Prestoungrange Gothenburg. Watch out for the procession across the Baronies before the Courts are fenced by the Baron Sergeand, with the Judges and Officers in scarlet and black robes. Note too that stocks have been especially commissioned for sentencing outcomes anticipated on July 27th. And those who are likely to receive fines will be able to secure 18th century Scottish coinage for their settlement at the Barons Courts as necessary.

The pictures below show the Barons of Prestoungrange [seated left] and Dolphinstoun [right] at their Preliminary Hearings on June 18th to consider the Listings being prepared by the Clerk of the Courts and to appoint ByrLawmen and other Officers. The Clerk is seated holding the ellwand. The other Officer in black robes wearing the Bailie's gold and silver chain is the Baron Bailie, Mathew Wills Yr of Prestoungrange and heir to that Barony.

Any additional Complaints by those living on the ancient Lands and Crown Baronies should reach the Clerk of the Courts before 12 noon on July 12th.

Click to enlarge all pictures


In relaxed vein, Dolphinstoun and the Baron Bailie linger in the James Fewell Bar and earlier Prestoungrange's three grand daughters by Mathew and Kathryn Wills of Prestoungrange - left to right Natasha, Francesca and Lorna - made unsupervised use of the regalia.



The final picture is taken in the James Park Lounge, named after Prestoungrange's grand father who worked in local pits and the trophy is to be competed for at the Global Murals Association's 6th Conference which comes to Prestonpans in August 2006. That trophy is named the Willie Park Cup after Prestoungrange's great great uncles Willie Senior and Mungo and Willie's son, Junior, who together won the Open no less than 7 times in the 19th century a record unequalled by any family.