A CUSTOM dating back centuries was observed when Watchet Court Leet met on the traditional date, the last Thursday of October.

For hundreds of years and before the early 1800s, court leets were responsible for the administration of the town including law and order.

Prominent local men are annually summoned to take up various duties and mete out justice at regular court leet sessions. Many court leets have ceased to exist, but it continues to meet every year in Watchet, if only in a ceremonial sense.

The 2017 court leet met at noon at the Bell Inn, in Market Street, where jurors had been summoned by bailiff Nigel Swinburne to attend “with view of Frank-pledge of the Wyndham family”.

In the morning, town crier David Milton, known as the court’s common bellman, toured the town calling on each juror to remind them to attend. At midday, he called the meeting to order and the president, Richard Wedgwood, representing the Wyndham Estate, opened the proceedings.

This year’s foreman, David Milton, was sworn in, followed by the other jurors, including three new ones.

Entries from the minute book of 100 years ago were read, the common bellman gave a detailed report of events happening in Watchet during the last 12 months and specific issues raised by jurors were discussed.

Consideration was given to the re-instatement of court leet constables. The foreman presented the trustees of the Wyndham Estate to do the office of port reeve “for the year ensuing by virtue of their ownership of Hoopers land no.10 on the port reeve list”.

Appointments for the year were: Bailiff and deputy port reeve Nigel Swinburne; deputy bailiff Dudley Binding; ale tasters John Stone and Robert Dibble; inspectors of weights and measures Roger Wedlake and Bob Hornby; stock driver Nick Tapp; pig driver Malcolm Bale; recorder Dudley Binding; scavengers Jim Nicholas and Richard Burnell; foreman of the jury and bellman David Milton.

As is the custom, the court session was followed by the traditional goose dinner and ‘special recipe’ punch. The recorder called upon the president to propose the loyal toast, and the foreman proposed the toast to the Wyndham family to which the president replied.

Guest speaker Chris Saunders gave a very interesting talk on ‘Watchet Smugglers’.