A Brief Guide to Modern Manorial Law

Manorial law issues today can arise unexpectedly in high-value commercial contexts, including not just those relating to property but to minerals and renewable energy development. Intended primarily for busy practitioners yet of interest also to historical researchers and the general reader, A Brief Guide to Modern Manorial Law offers an introduction to an important subject that once stood close to the centre of English property law but is now little known and often misunderstood. It begins by outlining the development of the manor in England and Wales since Norman times and goes on to consider the legal and historical aspects of that development so that manorial issues arising in contemporaneous property transactions or disputes can be properly evaluated. There is a focus wherever possible on case law analysis.

The book examines key concepts surrounding manorial land, rights and title, together with registration issues, wastes and commons. There is extensive coverage of private and public Inclosure Acts, copyhold enfranchisement, manorial minerals, and the often-confusing treatment of manorial mineral reservations in the courts. There is a chapter on evidence which addresses the nature of available documentation and where to find it, while a concluding chapter on legislation brings together and provides commentary on key statutory provisions, in force or repealed, including those which may now be difficult to identify or obtain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul Stafford is a property law barrister with a particular expertise in manorial law and mineral rights. The work is mostly advisory in nature, sometimes litigious, and usually of significant complexity. He receives enquiries and instructions from clients across the globe. He has submitted evidence to Parliament, lectured and published articles on the subject. This is his first book.

CONTENTS

The Manor and Its Historical/Legal Development

Manors and the Law

Registration

Wastes and Commons

Manorial Minerals

Manorial Mineral Reservations in the Courts

Evidence

Legislation and Other Materials