The Eyre was a circuit system created by Henry II in 1176 where the King’s justices visited the counties of England to hear all types of civil and crown pleas, and to investigate any matters for the King in that county. It was a hugely important part of the legal and administrative process but was allowed to lapse in the fourteenth century.

Volume 64 follows on from the Civil Pleas printed by the Suffolk Records Society in 2009 (Volume 52) and primarily deals with the actions of townsmen and peasants as killers, thieves and victims of crime.  The Crown Pleas illustrate the function of both the common law and the role of local and central government, whilst also shedding light on the everyday lives of the people contained therein.

Published in May 2021.