Cases brought forth were overwhelmingly related to agricultural disputes, and lords frequently pursued justice for issues of inadequately plowed lands and destruction of property by peasant cattle. “John Sperling,” for one, “complains that Richard of Newmere on the Sunday next before S. Bartholomew’s day last past with his cattle, horses, and pigs wrongfully destroyed the corn on his land to his damage to the extent of one thrave of wheat, and to his dishonor to the extent of two shillings; and of this he produces suit” (Tierney Sourcebook 264). In another case, “all the ploughmen of Great Ogbourne are convicted by the oath of twelve men… because by reason of their default [the land] of the lord was ill-ploughed whereby the lord is damaged to the amount of 9s… and Walter Reaper is in mercy for concealing the said bad ploughing” (Tierney Sourcebook 264). As a manor lord’s survival and livelihood was deeply connected to his land, a response to the aforementioned issues was merited, but rather than resorting to violence, both disputes were settled through an emerging legal system in which cases were judged according to a set of community regulations passed down through generations (Tierney Text 182-3).…